6A: Repercussions Reappearance
Neal was coming back today.
It had been months since Peter had seen his consultant. They'd been investigating him off the books in regards to the stolen Nazi treasure. Then he'd disappeared. There had been no sign of him so Peter thought he'd gotten his chance and run. Even Mozzie hadn't been seen so there was nothing to contradict the theory.
To complicate the situation, in searching for Neal they'd stumbled upon two other men who looked like Neal. They seemed identical. To confirm that neither one was Neal they actually ran a DNA test and fingerprinting in comparison to data found in the loft apartment Neal rented. The men were identical triplets!
Given that James and Bryce were agents who didn't know about each other, Peter could believe that Neal didn't know about them.
Still, he was upset with his friend. If Neal had run and then done something stupid, like bribing someone to get his deal back, then things could still get messy. But, if he hadn't run, then why weren't they being told anything, why was Neal being reinstated? Mostly, Peter was just confused.
Seeing Neal arrive, Peter knocked on the conference room door before going down to the main floor. Watching Neal as he went, he saw Neal's eyes get big. Set in his pale face, it was especially noticeable how expressive he was. His reaction was more obvious too in how he crossed his arms protectively while stepping back away from their approach. Frowning, it was the first time it had seriously crossed Peter's mind that Neal might not have chosen to leave. He didn't look healthy, more like he'd been in the dark and there was something off in his defensive reaction.
Another man walked through the door, saw James and Bryce, then turned towards Neal. His expression flashed through something like a constipated man sucking on a lemon before he exclaimed, "Oh boy!" Turning more directly to Neal, he started apologizing for some encounter and being confused.
Based on what Peter gathered, Neal and this man had met and had a bad encounter because the man knew Bryce and had been angry at him for some reason.
"Don't worry about it. You were only the first to make that mistake and by far the nicest." Then Neal's whole countenance started to fall so he turned at a run pushing through the glass doors to retreat down the hall.
"Someone who actually knows him should follow. Neither my sister nor I were verbally nice, and based on a cross-reference of government files; the worst torture James or Bryce allegedly went through was endured by Neal, including what he was recently rescued from." The man said as he watched Neal go.
Not waiting, Peter took off after his consultant and friend. Hearing the idea of what he'd been through, all of his anger had gone and he was terrified of what it meant his friend had endured.
Catching up as he rounded the corner, Peter saw the moment when Neal seemed to break. His face crumpled and the tears seemed to overwhelm him as his shaking body hit the wall and slid toward the floor.
Grabbing his arm and lifting Neal up, Peter then leaned into Neal to hug him while bracing against the wall to help hold him up. He didn't want Neal to drop into a ball; he wanted to provide some comfort to both of them. "Oh, Neal, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."
He was using one arm around the kid to hold him up, but the other he kept firmly to the back of Neal's head. Peter shifted his fingers in Neal's hair as he heard the swallows and choked sobs of Neal's efforts to swallow his pain. "You've got to let it out, Neal. It will eat you alive if you don't."
Neal didn't answer. He kept his arms around himself and leaned how Peter directed.
The longer they stood there with Peter trying to comfort his friend, the more he wondered how much Neal was aware of his presence. The kid obviously knew he wasn't alone, but did he realize he was safe with a friend?
When Neal did finally pull himself together, he straightened up and tried to create distance.
Pulling Neal from the wall and into a tighter hug, Peter refused to let go, he refused to let Neal go. "Don't hide, you didn't deserve whatever they did to you, and you certainly don't deserve to handle it alone. I'm here, Neal, let me help you."
Neal shook his head, but in answer to what Peter didn't know. However, he did know that he had his work cut out for him. He liked to fix things and to serve justice, and Neal needed that. The kid wouldn't make it easy based on his initial reaction, but he wouldn't give up.
To hide how deeply he was affected, Neal took a moment to breathe and put masks on. Then he more forcefully stepped back to make Peter let him go. Standing alone, Neal straightened his suit and hid the evidence of his breakdown as best he could before slipping away to the restroom to finish the job.
Giving him some space, Peter waited outside and tried to get a plan in order. What was he going to do about Neal? The kid might be in worse shape than he was after Kate's death. Mozzie hadn't been seen so he couldn't have him help as he'd done before. He'd have the team, particularly Jones and Diana, keep an eye on him in the office. June would check on him at home. But, it still didn't feel right.
Feeling his phone, he pulled it out and was glad to see his wife's caller ID. "Hello, Hon," he breathed out in relief.
"How is it going with Neal?" She asked after opening the call.
"Oh," Peter let out a huff and leaned against the wall. "He's a mess; they tortured him, and we were totally off track." Taking a breath himself, Peter managed to get the story out for his wife. "Mozzie isn't here this time and Neal needs help."
"Take him home with you. He'll keep you and Satchmo company while I'm gone and you can get a foundation figured out to help. Give him space but don't let him get lost in his own head." She repeated a mixture of his advice and her father's.
It wasn't something he initially felt comfortable with, but it felt right so he mentally gave in, "I just hope he'll go for it." They finished their conversation just before Neal came out.
Looking at Neal, Peter noticed that he'd wet his face and had probably spent some time staring at the mirror. His face looked clear and his mask was firmly in place.
Catching Neal by the arm, Peter stopped him for a moment. "You don't have to hide."
Neal's eyes slid past him before he stepped away and headed back to the office.
Entering behind Neal, Peter saw the awkward and guilty expressions that greeted him. Sighing to himself, Peter knew that they told Neal that they'd all been blaming him for his absence. Neal was already hiding from them and their reactions wouldn't help the situation at all.
Since Neal was already landing into the old cases and mortgage fraud that had been prepared for him, Peter signaled Jones and Diana to meet him in the conference room. The triplets and their friend followed.
"How is he, boss?" Diana asked for the group while Hughes joined them from next door.
"He is not okay! If I hadn't surprised him, Neal would have collapsed into pieces back there. Instead, whatever torture they put him through has him ducking for cover and unwilling to open up at all. This is going to need delicate handling, at least until we can learn the depth of how badly he's hurting and what we need to do about it." Peter stood with one hand on his hip and ran the other palm down his face as he pictured Neal's crumbling expression again.
"What is this about Caffrey?" Hughes questioned as he hadn't been present for the conversation below.
Explaining what he knew, the agent who introduced himself as Charles Carmichael, or Chuck, repeated the basic information about how Neal had been mistaken for his triplet brothers. He'd been treated as a black ops agent and tortured extensively for information he didn't have. "Fortunately, he's friends with agent Winters and the agent made sure he had means of asking for help, or that his absence would be noticed if something happened and you were unaware. The NSA investigated and pulled him out. They gave him medical treatment but he refused psychological help; something about a bad experience growing up. He's physically alright, but emotionally and psychologically, no one knows the depths of the damage."
The triplets seemed impressed that Neal knew this agent Winters, but then again, even Hughes gave an impressed whistle.
"Only the best agents get to work with Winters, and then most never officially meet him. He's like a ghost and works deep undercover work. I hear he hasn't surfaced in decades… What is agent Winters doing with Caffrey?" Hughes turned to Carmichael.
Clearing his throat and reminding them to call him Chuck, Chuck answered. "I've been instructed to inform you that he is actually the person who took the submarine treasure. He's currently analyzing it for return to the proper owners. Without Caffrey to work the art, he's been working through paperwork. Since he was pulled for this, he doesn't know Neal's been hurt." Then in an aside, he admitted to contacting Winters. It would be a few days at minimum, but he'd be back as soon as he could to help.
Suddenly, Peter understood who Winters was, Mozzie. If Mozzie was an agent who only worked with the best agents while he was undercover in the criminal world, then, was Neal an agent, or his favorite criminal contact? It made for interesting speculation, but Neal's health and emotional well-being were more important.
"Do you want us to watch him?" Jones asked. He had the same guilty look Peter had seen on the rest of the team's faces.
"Yeah, that way we can keep an eye on him in the office, and, per El's suggestion, I'll take him home with me for at least a few days to see how he is when he drops his guard. He has to slip up at some point." Peter instructed before working out some general game plans for how to team up on Neal. They didn't want to come off as ganging upon him, but then again, they kind of were. But, they had good intentions as they tried to figure out what to do to protect and help him.
Dispersing, they got ready to transition into a case where they would help go after those who had hurt Neal. Chuck was bringing the case officially, but he seemed to be a cross between an analyst and a field agent. He had abundant information and he worked in the field, but he was protected like he wasn't a normal agent since a team followed shortly after while they got ready.
Although Neal understandably preferred to remain at his desk, the rest of the team filed up to get the information and their tasks.
At the end of the day, Peter picked Neal up at his desk and acted like they were just going home for the evening. He didn't want to scare Neal off by doing this blatantly. If he eased him into it, then Neal might allow it without a fuss or fight. To start, he was going to work on dinner. They both needed to eat.
Endeavoring to make general conversation, Peter talked about what had transpired while Neal was gone, where Elizabeth was, and the vague story of accidentally finding Bryce and Junior. That took the most care, but Neal already knew they suspected him of stealing the treasure so running with it wasn't a long shot.
Neal wasn't much help. He sat in his seat and watched the city go by. There might have been some nods or facial expressions, but not when Peter was able to look between driving. There wasn't anything in the way of a verbal response either. The only win Peter could appreciate was that Neal had dropped his 'all is well' mask and replaced it with a neutral expression. It didn't show how he felt, but it wasn't entirely fake. Then again, maybe it was how Neal felt. If he'd shut down to put on his mask all day, he might not be feeling anything.
When they pulled up at Peter's home, Neal didn't fuss, but he probably expected it since Peter had talked to him. In an endeavor to keep the situation normal, Peter continued to talk carrying the conversation through the evening, dinner, and then into working some cases. He was enjoying the release of telling Neal what had been happening, he'd missed his friend being there. However, as the evening drew on and Neal remained unresponsive, Peter had to work harder for conversation topics.
"Did you know that they're your brothers?" At Neal's confused look, Peter was glad to see a reaction but uncertain if that was a good thing or not. "We checked when we ran across their information. They're your identical triple brothers, but they were adopted separately."
Neal bolted for the bathroom looking pale and sick.
After a shocked beat, Peter was up and after him. He found Neal leaning over the toilet retching. Crouching down, he put his hand on Neal's back as a gesture of support. "I didn't think you did, and that probably doesn't help, but you should know the truth."
The reply wasn't worth mentioning as Neal's taxed emotional state was still seeking physical relief.
When Neal was done, Peter helped him clean up and shift to sitting against the wall. "I can't imagine what you must be going through with this," Peter spoke low, more to himself than Neal. The kid was so pale it worried him and his body seemed too tired to shake anymore. Putting an arm across Neal's shoulders, Peter tried to provide some comfort to his friend.
After a while, Neal seemed to manage enough energy to question, "Did you find anything about me in your search? You said they were adopted separately."
Peter wasn't sure what Neal was looking for, but he couldn't answer with much anyway. "No, we could only match them through the hair DNA we found at June's. I still can't find anything about you pre-eighteen. Are you adopted too?" It couldn't hurt to ask, could it?
There was no answer; Neal seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at the vanity.
When Neal continued to remain in place, Peter decided to move the situation along. Lifting Neal up, he walked him across the hallway to the guest room. Sitting Neal down on the bed, he then retrieved a spare set of pajamas that were kept for the kid to sleep in on those late nights when the case came together. Since Neal didn't react, Peter got him started by dropping them in his lap.
"Change Neal, you need the sleep and you'll be more comfortable in those than your suit," Peter instructed when Neal finally reacted by twitching and pulling away. As Neal started to slowly unbutton his shirt, Peter ruffled his hair lightly. "It's good to have you back. Let me know if you need anything." Bidding his friend goodnight, Peter left to get ready for bed himself.
There were no screams or audible cries in the night. Neal's body was still whenever Peter checked on his shadowed form.
In the morning, Peter suspected why. Neal was lying on the bed just as unmoving with dark circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept at all! When Peter knocked lightly on the open door to announce his presence, then Neal's head slowly turned and his eyes lazily blinked. "I'll have breakfast ready shortly and the coffee is hot."
Neal seemed to barely nod but needed time to muster the necessary energy to get up.
Leaving the door ajar, Peter went to get the meal started and take care of Satchmo. The dog needed to be fed and walked so Neal should have enough time to get up. Peter wanted to continue observing his friend, but he knew Neal wouldn't react well to him hovering. Besides, he wasn't the hovering emotional kind of person to do that.
Calling his wife on the walk, Peter updated her on what had been happening and got her perspective. She was encouraging but didn't have a lot of advice. Basically, he needed to continue showing Neal that he cared and was there, but not crowding Neal.
Letting Satchmo off his leash when they got home, he told the dog to go get Neal. It was encouraging a generally frowned upon behavior, but this was an exception. Satchmo wasn't human so Neal could let down his masks in front of him and Satchmo had an animal's instinct to comfort so he'd be good for Neal.
Seeing the dog push the door open and hearing a whine, Peter had to fight the urge to follow. He needed to give Satchmo time to draw Neal out and Neal time to be ready to come out. His worry and curious concern were the lesser points here.
Going about preparing a hot and healthy breakfast, Peter kept it simple with eggs and toast. The problem was that he had it ready before Neal came down.
Going to check on his friend, Peter found Neal sitting on the floor leaning against the bed hugging Satchmo. The dog could sense that something was wrong, so he was leaning into Neal and whimpering softly with an occasional shift. Since Neal was mostly dressed, Peter knew he'd gotten up and been moving before he apparently relapsed.
Before he could make a decision to either leave or stay, Neal looked up and realized that he was being watched. The kid hadn't shown much of expression in his quick glance, but it was enough for Peter to discern that Neal was still shut down. Were his emotions just beneath the surface? Was it fatigue or continued protective instincts preventing him from dealing with them?
Moving forward, Peter figured he'd been noticed so he might as well invade Neal's space. Crouching down, Peter put himself as close as he could to Neal's level. "I hope Satchmo has been able to help." He pet the dog's head as he reacted to his name. Then he shifted his hand to Neal's shoulder. "He's heard plenty about you while you were gone. Anger, worry, fear, frustration, concern… I feared what it would mean if you hadn't run, so I hoped you had, despite how much that hurt."
The look on Neal's face when he glanced up, something akin to forlorn had Peter shifting to hug the kid. Since he was crouched, Peter's chin rested on Neal's head. "I wish I knew though, that I could have done something to help you avoid being taken or to get you out sooner before they hurt you." Sighing sadly, he had to admit, "We had nothing on what happened until the office yesterday. They didn't leave a trail… I failed to protect you." His voice dropped to a soft whisper, he didn't know if Neal had heard, but Neal didn't need his pain on top of his own. Neal had more than enough to deal with so Peter was trying to keep the sources and details of his nightmares to himself.
When Satchmo shifted away from Neal's hold, Peter remembered breakfast as it was getting cold downstairs. "Do you think you're up to some breakfast?"
Neal didn't answer but his stomach growled so Peter got up and then pulled Neal up to join him. "I've never been through anything as traumatic as you were probably put through, but I know you need to eat, sleep, and take care of yourself. I'm not the only one who will be watching out for you, we're all determined to do what we can for you." He talked as he walked Neal with him to head towards the kitchen, then in the hallway, the smell of food seemed to take over as Neal kept walking even after he had dropped his arm.
Their meal wasn't as hot as Peter liked, but he mustered through since Neal ate in stoic silence. When they finished, Neal got ready and Peter locked up for them to head to work.
In the office, Peter left Neal at his desk for the team to watch before landing into his own work. The triplets were making progress, but there was still a lot of work to do.
Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing, and leaving kudos :D
My hours have been shifting at work, why depends on who is asked, but I'm going to be part-time at least for a while here so although the shifts tire me out (a lot of physical labor and accident injuries and an introvert making lots of small talk aren't exactly well suited but the bills need to be paid) I should be able to get back to more rapid response time again.
