Thank you for everyone who left a review, they are all so greatly appreciated! I'm sorry this update took too long, but starting school again took a lot of free time away.

Since the 5x10 episode and much of season 5 in general has completely brought back Burke the Jerk and even turned his wife selfish, I've been kind of mad at Peter and Elizabeth. Now our only hope is to keep the loving, understanding Burkes alive in our fanfics. I really hope Peter and Elizabeth get off their high horse and return to caring about Neal.

Neal sat on the park bench anxiously swinging his legs. It was around 7'oclock in the morning and by now the Burkes would notice his absence. A few hours earlier he had sent Estelle with a message for his quirky bald friend; any minute now he should— "Tiny man, where have you been?!" said a voice suddenly from behind.

The child whirled around to see Mozzie, "Mozziee!" he squealed.

Walking around to the front of the bench, the strange man took a seat and pulled out a newspaper to hide his face. "Explain yourself Houdini; one minute you're staying with me in Tuesday and then the next you're gone for a week! Tell me you weren't picked up by cops."

Neal nodded his head as Mozzie peered at him from around the side of the newspaper. The paranoid man's mouth dropped but Neal started to explain before he could say anything. "The FBI found me and you'll never believed what happened! When they brought me in to ask me questions about the gem heist, the lead agent was the same man I sold Cracker Jacks to! I got in some trouble and then he bought me lobster," Neal sighed with a downcast look. He would miss Peter.

"Neal, since you couldn't tell me you weren't picked up by cops, please tell me you didn't say anything," Mozzie asked worriedly.

"Of course not, I would never rat you out!" The boy said with a smile as he pushed the Burkes out of his mind. Mozzie let out a breath of relief. "I just told them I was paid to go and cry in front of the security guard and that the man who paid me was bald." At these words a look of hurt came over Mozzie's face as he reached up to feel his head. He wasn't completely bald, was he? But before the man could fret over his lack of hair, the child continued with his tale. "Then Peter was gonna take me to a boy's home but his wife stopped him since it was almost Christmas! So they brought me to their house!"

"Neal, this is important. Did you find any government secrets, any proof of conspiracies?"

The blue eyed boy shook his head, "Mozziee, don't be silly." The child paused for a second before he said in a small voice, "They took me in, Moz. Elizabef bought me clothes and Peter bought me art supplies. They were so nice," Neal looked down at his new shoes as tears formed in his eyes. He remembered the warm hugs the three of them has shared just last night and wished he could go back. But he knew he didn't deserve them, and he knew that if they tried to adopt him then his uncle would come back.

"Then why did you leave?" Mozzie asked bluntly bringing Neal out of his crushing thoughts.

"Cuz… cuz they're too good for me. I'm better off pulling jobs with you, and then I can make money and take care of myself."

"Listen, believe me when I say I would give anything to have the chance you do. I grew up as an orphan; right from the start I was a baby abandoned on a doorstep. I always dreamed of what my parents were like and maybe one day a family would adopt me, but that never happened. I turned to crime when I was a teen and then I never looked back. It's a hard life Neal, and if you have a chance to get out of it, you should take it!"

The five year-old's lip stuck out slightly as a look of sadness and regret filled his face, "You really think so? But I've been so bad…"

"You're barely tall enough to reach a doorknob and with those eyes there isn't a person on this Earth who wouldn't forgive you and forget."

"My uncle neber forgave me when I was bad. And what if he comes back and hurts Peter and Elizabef?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is the once case when being a Suit is an advantage. He works for the FBI, there's no doubt he could protect himself from a raging uncle."

"But what about you Mozzie? I was gonna help you remember? I was gonna be your inconspicuous little con-kid…"

"Don't kid yourself; you need a family way more than I need you, even if I do enjoy your childish smile."

Neal wiped a tiny tear away as he thought about his choices. "I don't wanna say goodbye to you forever. I've learned more from you in a week than I have in the rest of my short life. Promise me we can meet sometimes? You can give me more interesting books to read and I will give you some of my artwork!" Excitement hung in his voice as hope filled his heart. Maybe this could work out. Maybe the Burkes could adopt him after all. And maybe he could still be friends with Mozzie.

"As long as I remain a secret to the suit, then I don't mind teaching you. Then maybe you won't be brainwashed and have your stealthy talents stripped away," he said with a teasing smile.

Peter peaked into Neal's bedroom; he had been awfully quite throughout the night, not a single stir or nightmare. But as the door cracked open, an empty bed revealed the secret behind the silence. "Neal?" he called trying to keep the panic out of his voice. When there was no answer he figured the tyke must be in the bathroom. But the bathroom was empty. "Neal?!" he yelled so his voice traveled downstairs. But when he reached the first floor, there was no little boy to be found.

At this point Elizabeth had joined her frantic husband downstairs. "What's going on? Where's Neal?" The two did a thorough search of the rest of the house just in case Neal was playing some kind of troublesome hide and seek game.

And after taking a quick look out of the window to search the street, Peter's stomach plummeted as he dropped himself into an armchair with his head in his hands. "He's gone El."

Hearing these words made Elizabeth's blue eyes well up with tears. "No… that can't be! He willingly hugged us last night! He was finally easing into us!"

"Hon, he was saying goodbye," Peter said as he stood to hold his wife. He wanted to wipe away her tears and comfort her, but instead his words whispered a harsh truth. Last night, Neal had said goodbye.

All of the sudden a knock on the door made both adults startle. Peter rushed to the door and flung it open only to reveal no one; until he looked down. At his feet stood a small boy with bright crystal blue eyes, wavy dark hair, and a sheepish grin on his face.

"I'm not selling Cracker Jacks but—" Neal began before he was cut off.

"Neal!" Peter dropped down quickly and wrapped the boy in a hug. Until this moment he didn't realize just how much he had grown to love this child in only a little over a week. "Don't you ever scare us like that again!" he said in a serious yet compassionate tone. By now El had ran over to the door and joined in on the hug.

Peter stood taking Neal with him and the three returned to the living room. "Sweetie, where did you go? We were so worried! What if you had gotten hurt or someone had taken you?" El said all in one breath.

The little boy was so confused; Peter and Elizabeth didn't seem to be angry, at least not right now, but they were genuinely concerned for him. Neal cast his eyes down not willing to look at El's tear filled gaze, "I'm sorry."

The family had repositioned themselves to sitting on the couch with Neal on Peter's lap. Elizabeth carded her hand through the little boy's dark waves; not necessarily to sooth Neal, but rather to feel her baby.

Peter lifted the child's chin so that Neal looked him in his caring brown eyes, "Neal, promise us that you will never run off again like that. I know you feel guilty about some things that happened in the past, but none of that is your fault. You are a wonderful, brilliant little boy and you deserve to have a family and be taken care of. Can you make another promise as well? Next time you are feeling upset or scared, come talk to El and me and we can help you."

The child blinked his eyes a few times causing a flutter of eyelashes. He deserved a family to take care of him. It wasn't his fault that his daddy was gone. It wasn't his fault that his mommy was dead. And it wasn't his fault that his uncle beat him. So much had happened in Neal's five years, and now someone was giving him a shoulder to lean on. He had a woman who loved him and would stroke his hair, cook him meals, and give him hugs and kisses. And he had a man who would protect him, listen to him, and hold him.

Neal wrapped his tiny arms around Peter's neck and remembered the last time he had done this, it was to say goodbye. Now this hug meant hello, thank you, and so much more. Hello to a new life with the Burkes where he could be loved and cared for. "I promise," he said as he burrowed his head into the crook of Peter's neck. Elizabeth put an arm around Neal's back and leaned into her husband's side, and for a nice while, the family snuggled in happiness.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Please tell me what you think about the story, my writing skills, or the characters. I'm open to constructive criticism. Do you guys think Neal came back too soon and should've stayed with Mozzie while the Burkes searched for him? Do you think that Mozzie being the one to convince him to go back made sense, or was it out of character? In the next chapter do you want a sweet average day with the Burke family, or should I jump right into the next conflict? Answer my questions in a review! Yay!