Let Your Heart Hold Fast

Chapter 30

Neal heard the door open downstairs and scrambled out of bed when he heard Peter's voice. Opening his door, he raced down the stairs to find his grandfather talking to Peter. Without another thought, Neal ran to Peter, yelling his name as loudly as he could. To his complete dismay and utter confusion, Peter threw a quick glance at him, before turning back to Edward.

"Get him out of here, Bennett! I didn't pay you all that money to have the kid still hanging around. The deal was that you would get rid of him," Peter snapped.

Neal couldn't believe his ears. What was Peter saying? Why was he ignoring him? As he tried to get closer to the man he had grown to love like a daddy, Peter pushed him away. The push was so hard that Neal fell to the ground and in the process he felt and heard a crack in his arm. Neal couldn't help the cry that escaped him as he felt the pain shoot through him. Without even trying to stop them, tears ran down his face.

"Quit crying, Neal. You're acting like a baby. Cowboy up, kid! Now, you know why I don't want you around anymore and trust me…..Elizabeth feels the same way." Peter sneered down at the little boy on the ground in front of him. "You're always breaking things and messing things up. You're too much trouble, boy!"

Neal climbed to his feet and looked up at Peter, trying to understand why the man was so mad at him. "I tried to be good, Peter…Really! I promise I won't mess things up anymore and I'll never break anything. I won't be any trouble, I promise!"

"Get out of here, kid. I'm through with you!" Peter yelled.

Without another word, Neal ran back up the stairs to his room, wanting to get as far away from Peter as he could. Finally back in his room, he threw himself up on the bed and climbed under the blankets, crying his heart out for all that he had lost.

"Neal! Neal, darlin', wake up!"

Neal jerked awake to the feel of someone gently shaking his shoulder. Sitting up in the bed, he looked wildly around him, trying to make sense of what was going on. It took him a few seconds to finally recognize Camille sitting next to him on his bed, and then just a few seconds more to throw himself into her arms, sobs wracking his little body.

"Hey, darlin', it's okay. I think you were having a nightmare, but you're okay now." Camille softly patted Neal's back, trying to get the boy to calm down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Neal's body shuddered and he held onto Camille even tighter. After a few minutes, he looked up at her with tear filled blue eyes. "They don't want me anymore, Camille. Peter and Elizabeth don't want me!"

Camille hugged him even tighter. "Nonsense, darlin'. Your Peter and Elizabeth would be crazy not to want you anymore. You just had a doozy of a nightmare. Now, it's almost eleven o'clock and I have it on good authority that Santa is almost here. Why don't you try to go back to sleep and before you know it, morning will be here and you can see what Santa brought for you."

"I don't want anything from Santa," Neal cried. "I just want to go home."

"I know, Neal. And I wish I could help you with that, darlin'. Maybe someday I can."

Camille stood up and drew the blankets back on Neal's bed. After Neal climbed under the blankets, she bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "Neal, everything is going to be okay. If you just believe that, it will be true. Now, close your eyes and get some sleep, okay? Pleasant dreams, darlin'."

Neal watched as Camille closed the door behind her. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but he was afraid to close his eyes again, afraid that he would dream of a Peter that didn't want him anymore. He didn't think he could handle that again.

Mozzie had proved to be rather elusive, but after several long hours, Peter was finally able to track him down. After that, it took Mozzie another two hours to work out a deal with an acquaintance of his for the use of his plane. It was almost midnight before Peter, Diana, Jones, and Mozzie were finally on their way to find Neal.

Peter had explained to Diana and Jones that they could be in danger of losing their jobs if they helped him on this unsanctioned trip, but they both adamantly told him that they were there to help him, no matter what happened. Peter felt it hard to swallow after that, a giant lump seemingly finding its way into his throat. He wondered what he had ever done to deserve such loyal friends.

As he looked at his watch, he realized that it was already after midnight. Christmas Day…..a day for miracles. He prayed that today would be the day that they would find Neal, that he would be able to give his wife the only thing she wanted for Christmas, the only thing she wanted period. He prayed that this truly would be a day for miracles.

Elizabeth sat at home all by herself, staring up at the Christmas tree. Well, she wasn't exactly by herself. Satchmo was sitting next to her, having not left her side all day. She had never seen the poor dog looking so depressed, but she imagined that he was probably just mirroring her own mood. She wondered, not for the first time, just how much anguish and despair she was supposed to have to deal with in this life. After everything that had happened with her baby, she had felt like her heart would never be whole again. Peter was the best husband that any woman could ever hope to have, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't be everything that she needed. After Neal came into their lives, Elizabeth finally realized that all that she had ever needed was to be a mother.

Now, she wondered if maybe she wasn't meant to be a mother. Maybe God was trying to tell her something by first taking her baby away from her and then by allowing Neal to be kidnapped, not once, but twice. Maybe for Neal's sake, she should stop trying to be his mother. She didn't seem to be doing a good enough job, after all.

As she sat and stared at the Christmas lights on the tree, she prayed over and over again that God would give her just one more chance to be the mother that Neal deserved.

Peter's nerves were completely and totally frayed by the time they reached the place they believed Camille Noland to be staying. They had no proof of anything conclusive, but Peter was convinced that this was where Neal was taken. He had no idea why he felt this so strongly, but he did. Once they had determined that Edward Bennett was most likely at the center of all of this, they had checked out all of his previous real estate holdings. To find that Camille Noland's postcard and email address both led them to one of Bennett's previous addresses was no coincidence, especially knowing that Camille's daughter had allegedly had an affair with the man.

Once they were within a few miles of Bennett's home, Peter had them pull over. They had the beginnings of a workable plan, but it definitely needed more finessing. Peter wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly and that Neal wasn't put in any danger. His first and foremost priority was Neal's safety, of course.

As Peter, Mozzie and Diana sat and waited, Jones set out on foot to scout out the property. They had absolutely no idea what they were up against, so they needed as much information as they could find. Peter was completely unnerved as he sat in the car, the possibility of Neal being so close pressing in on him. It was all he could do to sit there and wait when he wanted nothing more than to break down the door and scream Neal's name at the top of his lungs.

After what seemed like a lifetime to Peter, Jones returned with a rather grim look on his face. Getting into the car, he turned and looked directly at his boss. "It's like a fortress, Peter. There's a gate at the front and there are two perimeter guards walking the grounds. Most of the lights in the house are off at the moment and other than the guards there isn't any other activity that I can see."

Peter sighed in frustration. "Well, I guess we have no choice but to wait until morning, right? You might as well make yourself comfortable. It's going to be a long night."

Elizabeth had fallen asleep on the sofa with Satchmo by her side. She woke up at three in morning and immediately checked her phone, surprised to see that she had missed a text from her husband.

'Hon, we're done for the night. No news yet. I'll call you tomorrow.'

Elizabeth sank back into the sofa bonelessly. She couldn't summon the strength to get up and take herself to bed, so she just curled back up on the sofa. After a few minutes of thinking about Neal, she suddenly realized that it was Christmas morning and without a second thought, she jumped up and ran upstairs. When she came back downstairs, her arms were filled with the presents she had bought for Neal. She was expecting a true Christmas miracle and didn't want Neal to come home to an empty tree.

Neal woke up to the realization that someone was gently calling his name and shaking his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he finally focused on Camille, who was sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Rise and shine, darlin'! It's Christmas morning." Camille spoke in an overly cheerful voice, but all Neal could think about was the fact that his one Christmas wish didn't come true. He was really hoping that when he woke up, he would be back at home with Peter and Elizabeth. Maybe Santa thought that he had been too naughty through the year. Maybe he really was on the naughty list…..

"Good morning, Camille," Neal answered in a very subdued voice.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Neal? Don't you want to go and see what Santa brought you?"

Neal looked up at Camille with a sad look. "I don't think Santa brought me anything, Camille. I haven't been a good boy this year."

"Oh, nonsense, Neal. You've been a perfectly good boy and I'm sure you'll find that Santa brought you something. But, you'll never know if you don't get your lazy bones up out of bed. Pierre's made your favorite breakfast and I bet it's getting cold. Now, hop up and let's get downstairs, young man."

Neal slowly climbed out of bed and followed Camille downstairs. Even though he felt betrayed by Santa, he couldn't help but feel a little excited at the prospect of getting a present. Heading into the foyer, he looked at the tree that now had several presents scattered underneath it. With his excitement building, he ran forward to see if any of them had his name on them. He was surprised to see that there were at least four presents under the tree that were addressed to him. He was just about to grab one of them when Camille stopped him.

"Wait just a minute, Neal. In this house, we always eat breakfast first."

Neal looked longingly at the presents, but then turned and followed Camille. He was hoping that she was going to lead him into the kitchen to have breakfast with her and Pierre, but instead she led him into the dining room. Neal froze in his steps when he saw that his grandfather was already at the table.

"Why is he still in his pajamas, Camille? Surely, he could have taken the time to make himself fit to be seen before presenting himself to the table." Edward glared at Neal, who stood as tall as he could under the intense glare.

"It's Christmas morning, Mr. Bennett. I thought perhaps we could make an exception."

Without another word to Camille, Edward turned to Neal. "Well, don't just stand there, boy. Take your seat. The food is already getting cold."

Neal sat down in his usual seat and looked at all the food on the table. He was relieved to see that everything looked good and that Pierre had indeed made his favorite thing…..chocolate chip pancakes. As he quietly dug into his breakfast, he couldn't help but notice that his grandfather was watching him. After a few minutes of this, Neal lost his appetite and stopped eating.

"You're just like your father, you know?! Unappreciative and spoiled. I always told his mother that she was coddling him too much, but she never listened. It seems your mother did the same to you."

Neal didn't know what to say to any of this. He had no idea what 'coddling' meant, but he knew that it wasn't a good thing. Instead of replying to his grandfather, he just continued to play with the excess syrup on his plate.

After a long stretch of uncomfortable silence, Edward spoke again. "I'm expecting a few business associates to arrive today, so I expect you to stay up in your room. Is that clear, boy?"

Neal nodded his head in reply, but at the sound of his grandfather clearing his throat in warning, he answered. "Yes, sir."

"It better be, boy, or you won't like the consequences."

Neal was really beginning to hate the word "boy."

After breakfast was over, Camille led Neal back into the foyer where the large Christmas tree was. She had him sit down on the rug as she handed four packages to him. With just Camille watching, Neal slowly unwrapped the presents, not wanting to appear unappreciative or spoiled. The first present was from his grandfather and Neal was surprised to see that it was a football. Neal really didn't like football, but he tried to act excited, just in case his grandfather was watching.

The next present was from Pierre and Neal was truly excited to see that it was a children's cookbook full of simple French dishes. He hoped that maybe Pierre would help him with some of them. The third present was the present from Santa and Neal was happy to see that it was a set of beautiful water color paints and a new set of brushes. Neal figured that he could draw a lot of pictures with these.

By far, though, his favorite present came from Camille. As he unwrapped the present, he saw that it was a framed picture of him with his parents when he was just a baby. Neal didn't really remember what his dad looked like anymore, so seeing the photograph helped to bring it back to him. Without saying a single word, he jumped up and ran to Camille, throwing his little arms around her neck.

It had been an extremely uncomfortable night for Peter and his crew. The car was a mid-sized car, but with four adults trying to rest comfortably, it might as well have been a sardine can. Peter had to get out of the car frequently to stretch out his back, but by morning he was still stiff as a board. Diana had been the last watch and she had just come back from scouting the area.

"Boss, the household seems to be waking up. The fireplace is going and there are several different lights on in the house. I saw an older man bring out a thermos of something to the two guards and an older woman opened the curtains downstairs and looked out the window. I'm fairly sure it was Camille Noland. No sign of anyone matching the description of Edward Bennett as of yet, and no sign of Neal."

Peter's heart sank at Diana's last words and he wondered, not for the first time, if they were on a wild goose chase. Maybe their intel was completely wrong and they were barking up the wrong tree. Maybe Neal was far, far away and they would never find him. How could he go home empty handed again?!

Diana gave him a look that put an immediate halt to his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking, Boss, and you need to stop. Last night you were certain that we were on the right track and I trust your instinct. Neal is here."

"I hope you're right," Peter sighed.

By this time, Mozzie was awake and had joined them on the side of the road. "Did I miss anything, Suit?"

Just as Peter was answering him, they all heard the sound of an approaching car. Being off on a side road, hidden behind an old barn, they weren't worried about being seen. As they waited, a black sedan drove by, the windows tinted so dark that they couldn't make out who was in the vehicle. As they watched it pass, Peter and Jones decided to foot it back to the property to see what was going on. That left Diana to stay behind with Mozzie, and Peter said a quick prayer that Diana wouldn't kill the shorter man.

Neal was still sitting by the Christmas tree when his grandfather walked out of his study and immediately sent him upstairs. "Remember what I said, Neal. Stay in your room until you're told you can come out."

Neal grabbed his presents and ran up the stairs, trying not to drop anything in his haste. Once in his room, he placed his things on his bed and quickly went to the window. Looking down below, he tried to see who was getting out of the black sedan that had pulled up, but he realized that he didn't recognize either of the men. He did, however, notice that both men had guns strapped in holsters when a strong gust of wind blew their jackets back. Neal didn't like the idea of that, at all.

Peter and Jones carefully approached the manor, making sure to stay out of the line of sight of the two guards. Just as they pulled up next to a tree, Jones pulled on Peter's arm and pointed up to a second floor window. "Peter! I think I just saw a little boy looking out of that third window on the second floor. I only got a quick glance, but it looked like your boy."

Peter looked up at the window, seeing nothing but the curtain swaying slightly. His heart was beating fast and erratically and he forced himself to take some deep breaths to calm himself down. It wouldn't do to lose his cool now, when they were so close to at least getting some answers.

From their vantage point, they could see the black sedan, but it was obvious that its occupants had already entered the house. After a few minutes of trying to figure out what to do, they finally agreed upon a plan. Peter dug out his phone and placed a call to Diana. "Diana, Jones and I are going to approach the house and identify ourselves under the pretense of investigating mail fraud involving Camille Noland. That should at least get us into the house for a few minutes. I want you to have the local PD on speed dial, just in case we need them, okay? We'll be in touch."

Although Diana really didn't think their plan was a good idea, she did exactly what her boss asked of her.

Neal was sitting by the door of his bedroom, listening through the small crack. He was bored up in his room and thought that he might try to sneak off to the other bedroom he had found. He wondered why he had to have such a boring room when there was one that was so much better just down the hall.

As he listened to the murmurs of voices downstairs, he was surprised to hear the doorbell ring again. Seconds later, he was even more surprised to hear Peter's voice mixed with the sound of Camille's. Without a second thought, he threw the door open and ran to the top of the stairs. After the dream he had had last night, he was somewhat reluctant to throw himself at Peter. He really didn't think he could stand Peter rejecting him like he had in the dream.

As he stood at the top of the stairs, looking down through the banisters, it took all of his will power not to run downstairs, yelling for Peter at the top of his lungs. He was just about to give in to his desire, when his grandfather arrived in the foyer, accompanied by the two men with guns. Neal watched in horror as everything played out in slow motion before him. He watched as Peter introduced himself, explaining that they were looking for Neal. He watched as his grandfather argued with Peter, claiming that Neal was his rightful heir. He watched as Peter told Edward that they were going to have to arrest him, but that things would go better for the man if he cooperated. Then, he watched in horror as Edward backed away, allowing the two men to come forward, guns drawn and aimed at Peter and Jones.

Without thinking, Neal hurled himself down the stairs, calling out the name of the one person that could save him.

"Peter!"

Peter rang the doorbell and was surprised when it was almost immediately opened by Camille Noland. "Yes? May I help you?"

Peter and Jones both flashed their badges at the woman. "Mrs. Noland, my name is Agent Peter Burke and this is Agent Clinton Jones. We're with the FBI, White Collar Division. We have a few questions for you, if you don't mind."

The woman looked at both of them, fear evident in her eyes. "Did something happen?"

Peter and Jones were quickly scanning the area, looking for any signs of Neal. Much to their disappointment, they found nothing indicative of a five year old's presence. Before they really had to delve into their made up pretense, the door to another room opened up and Edward Bennett, accompanied by two other men, made his way into the foyer.

Peter immediately dropped all pretenses and confronted Edward Bennett. "Where is he, Bennett? Where's Neal?"

Edward glanced at the two men standing next to him before turning back to Peter. "That is of no business to you, Agent. Now, I demand that you leave my home, unless of course you have a warrant."

Peter took a deep breath. "I don't need a warrant, Bennett. I have information leading me to believe that you kidnapped my foster son. Now, where is he?"

"He is not your foster son, Burke. He's my legitimate grandson and I am not going to ask you again to leave."

Peter shared a look with Jones before pulling out his handcuffs and stepping foward to Edward. "Edward Bennett, I am placing you under arrest for first degree kidnapping and child endangerment, not to mention a myriad of other charges. If you cooperate, I'll see to it that things go a little better for you."

At that moment, several things happened at once. Peter stepped forward to handcuff Edward just as Edward stepped back behind the two men standing next to him. At the same moment, Peter noticed the two men pull out guns, taking aim at him and his partner. Before anyone could do anything, though, they all heard the sound of running feet above them. Looking up, they all saw Neal running down the stairs, yelling Peter's name.

Peter quickly stepped toward Neal, but one of Bennett's men was closer and faster. To Peter's horror, he watched as the man grabbed Neal by the shirt, yanking him to his side.

Peter immediately pulled his weapon up and turned to Bennett. "Hold on! There's no reason anyone needs to get hurt. Let Neal go, Bennett. He's just a kid."

"Shut up, Burke!" Edward yelled.

Peter stopped talking, but never took his eyes off the man that was holding Neal. He trusted Jones to have his back, so he calmly tried to diffuse the situation. "Listen, Bennett…..I know you don't want Neal to get hurt any more than I do, so just let him go, okay? Then, we can talk about this man to man."

"The only thing I want is for you to leave my house, Agent."

"I can't do that, Bennett. I can't leave Neal here. He needs to come with me."

"He's staying here," Bennett yelled.

"I don't wanna stay here," Neal screamed as he twisted frantically in the man's hold. "I wanna go home."

"Shut your mouth, Neal, and stay out of this," Bennett yelled at his grandson.

At that moment, to Peter's immense horror, Neal kicked his foot back into the man's shin and bit his hand. The man screamed, letting go of Neal, and then all hell broke loose. Peter made a grab for Neal just as the other man shot his gun. Peter felt the bullet whiz past his ear and tried even harder to get Neal out of the way. By this time, Jones had taken cover and was exchanging shots with the men. Peter hoped that Diana could hear the shots being fired and was calling for backup. Unfortunately, Peter knew that he needed to help Jones, who was outnumbered. He quickly placed Neal behind a thick wooden desk, telling the boy to stay there and to stay down. Turning back to his partner, Peter could tell that things weren't looking good for them.

Jones indicated that he only had one more clip of ammunition, so Peter sent one of his spare clips sliding across the foyer floor. Looking around the corner of the door he was hiding in, Peter saw that the two men were sheltered behind another door. Edward Bennett was nowhere to be found at the moment. With his ears ringing from the gunshots, Peter called out for the men to drop their weapons. "Backup is on the way. Drop your weapons. NOW!"

The men immediately began firing in Peter's direction again. Just as he figured they had to be close to being out of ammunition themselves, a door off to the side opened to reveal Camille Noland. Peter watched in complete horror and surprise as the woman stepped out of the doorway with her hands clasped together in her apron. "Mr. Bennett! Please, stop! Before someone gets killed. Please!" She stepped out into the foyer and suddenly unclasped her hands, bringing them out of the apron to reveal a handgun. She quickly shot in the direction of one of the men and Peter was surprised to see him fall to the ground, unmoving.

Peter yelled for Camille to get out of the way, but before she could move the second man opened fire, hitting her in the chest. Camille fell to the floor, gasping for breath and Peter grabbed her, pulling her closer to him as he tried to get her out of the line of fire.

What happened next would forever live in Peter's memory as one of the worst moment of his life. As he struggled to pull the woman to him without getting shot himself, he didn't notice the arrival of the young body that suddenly appeared next to him. Neal had watched as Camille was shot and he immediately left his hiding place to go to her.

"Camille!" he cried as he surged forward. Just as he reached her side, Peter noticed him, but before he was able to grab Neal, he watched as the boy's body lurched forward and crumpled into a heap beside him. From that point on, Peter had no idea what happened with the rest of the shoot-out. Without hesitation, he jumped over Camille's body and reached for Neal. Looking the boy over, he realized that a bullet had pierced Neal's upper leg and there was an obscene amount of blood pouring out of it. It took Peter several long seconds to remember what to do, but once he did, he quickly took off his tie and tied it tightly above the gunshot wound. Then, he took off his shirt and pressed it as hard as he dared to the wound. All the time, he kept talking to Neal, telling him that everything was going to be okay. Telling him that he was going to take him home where Elizabeth and Satchmo were waiting for him. All the while he was trying to keep this boy he loved so much from bleeding out, he talked to him about anything he could think of.

He never stopped talking to Neal and he never really registered when the shootout was over and that Diana was there helping Jones. His sole focus was on the small boy laying on the floor beside him. Suddenly, he realized that Neal was trying to close his eyes. "Hey, buddy…stay with me, okay? You can't go to sleep, little man. I need you to talk to me, okay? I need to see those baby blues. Neal, open your eyes, bud!"

"I can't, Peter," Neal whispered. "I'm tired."

"I know you're tired, Neal, but it's not time to sleep, okay? I need you to stay awake."

By this time, tears were falling down Peter's face, landing on Neal. He could see tears falling down Neal's face, as well. As he looked at the gunshot wound, he thought that it looked like the blood was still pouring out. Pressing harder on Neal's leg, he looked around frantically. "Damn it, I need help over here!"

As Peter was waiting for someone to come and help Neal, someone who was trained to deal with these situations, he realized that Neal was moaning. He knew that he was pressing down really hard on the wound and he knew that it had to be hurting, but he couldn't let up.

"It's okay, Neal. The ambulance will be here soon. It's okay, just hang in there a little longer, son."

Peter's heart broke when he heard the sobs escaping Neal. It broke into even smaller pieces when he heard Neal's next words. "It hurts, Daddy. Please, make it stop!"

Author's note: Whew! That was a tough one. I really don't like writing action scenes, because they are so hard for me to get them to flow well. I hope the last part of this chapter flowed well enough for you and that it all made sense. If not, I'm sorry.

I had really planned on a Neal/Mozzie reunion and a Neal/Elizabeth reunion in this chapter, but it got a little out of control. It's five o'clock in the morning here and this chapter is over 5000 words long, so I guess the reunions will have to wait for the next chapter. Well, if everything turns out okay for Neal, I mean. ;)

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Let me know if you find any inconsistencies, okay?