Thank you to everyone that left a review, I really appreciate it and I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I know I left off on a rollercoaster of a chapter and this one isn't much better. Eventually the storm will calm so don't worry. The hotels mentioned in this chapter are real hotels in New York, but I have no clue where they are or anything about them so don't hold me accountable for the random crap I make up ;p

Agent Burke raced through the White Collar division like a mad man while giving orders to various agents in order to find Neal. That kid was one of the only people in the world that could make Peter's heart pound as hard as it was right now. Jones and Diana were tracking down every little lead that linked Jorgen to New York so that they could scope out possible places he was staying at. Both agents had compiled lists of possible hotels and quickly delivered them to their boss.

"Peter, Jones and I have narrowed down the hotels to West Tower and Langham Place. West Tower was hosting a conference for a cooperation that is suspected for dealing with the Russian mob; however, Langham has their penthouse suite rented out to an unnamed customer." Diana reported.

"If that's the case, West Tower is too obvious if Kamychzk is as clever as Neal made him out to be. I'd say Langham is our best bet. Jones, you and I are going to Langham; round up a team. Diana, you take another team to West Tower and secure it too just in case my hunch is wrong." Peter responded swiftly as he slipped his arms into his suit jacket getting ready to leave. He wasn't about to waste any time with Neal's life on the line. He couldn't afford to be wrong with his choice in hotels, but he also didn't have the time to make a well-educated decision. His gut told him that he would find Neal in Langham Place.

"You got it Boss," Jones said as he went off to carry out his assigned task. Diana gave a confirming nod as she followed orders as well. Minutes later, two FBI teams were headed out to track down their missing C.I.

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"Okay Jorgen. You win, I'll go with you as long as you don't touch a single one of my friends," Neal conceded in defeat. Not a single part of him wanted to go with Jorgen, but he needed to protect Elizabeth. He knew Peter could take care of himself, and Mozzie would be difficult to find, even if it was the Russian mob looking for him. But Jorgen knew right where to find Elizabeth and she would be none the wiser; not even Peter would suspect Jorgen to go after his wife. She was vulnerable and probably extremely worried by now, and Neal wasn't about to let anything happen to the woman he secretly called 'Mom'.

A devious smile slipped across Jorgen's face, "Good choice Mikhail, I preferred not to send a man back to the house we picked you up at to harm that woman. Besides, I'm sure once you come around and forget this dull New York life you've picked up then you will enjoy our time together just as much as we used to. I can't believe you've become a rat for the FBI, someone like you can't simply live a law abiding life. We are criminals Mikhail, and that's all we'll ever be."

Jorgen's words stung at Neal like an array of arrows slicing his skin. It made the boy sick when his old friend threatened to hurt Elizabeth, and his heart ached at the thought of being only a criminal. Neal had long given in to his rush received from a con, but now he was using his cons on the good side of the law. He was using his skills to catch criminals, not to be a criminal. The young man desperately thought he could change, but what if he couldn't, what if Jorgen was right? Could he break his bad habits, or would his heart freeze over like Jorgen's. Now that he thought about it, was there even anything that kept him from snapping and going insane just as his old friend had done?

Then almost as if a wave washed over him, the answer came: yes. Peter and Elizabeth Burke were the answer to that question. Even though Peter always threatened to throw the boy back in jail, Neal finally realized the amount of faith and hope that the fatherly figure had in him. Peter Burke thought he could change. The Burke's took Neal under their wing as if he was their own son regardless of his criminal background. El and Peter treated him like the struggling teenager he really was and were willing to help him through any of his demons. Even Jones and Diana treated Neal as an equal and a coworker. To his White Collar family, he was more than a criminal.

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Elizabeth sat silently on the couch as her tear filled eyes rested on Neal's beautiful painting. Her flushed cheeks were stained with tears because after she had reported Neal's disappearance to her husband, she let everything flow. Now that her river of tears has subsided, she could more clearly study her boy's breathtaking artwork. Staring at the happy family on the canvas in front of her crushed her heart just as much as it gave her comfort. She could not peel her eyes away from Neal's last impression as she desperately awaited his return. Her mind played tricks on her as El imagined the front door opening to reveal her husband with Neal in tow.

The poor mother bear couldn't stop beating herself up for allowing the kidnapper to simply walk into their house and take her baby away. Now she could do nothing but wait as everything was placed into her husband's hands. Somehow she could feel that Peter was getting close, but at the same time, she felt as if Neal would slip through their fingers never to be seen again.

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The sound of the clock ticking pounded in Neal's head as he sat in a chair with his eyes glued to Jorgen. The man Neal hated yet pittied stood away from the boy as he talked to some associates on his cell. The young man wished that in the next couple of moments Agent Burke would bust through the door to his left and come to his rescue. But there was still no sign that help was on its way.

From Jorgen's conversation Neal could pick up a few muffled words like "ready to leave," "now," and "helicopter." The boy swallowed; if a helicopter was coming to pick them up, then the FBI blocking off the building would do no good. Peter and his squad would storm into the penthouse only to find that Neal and Jorgen had disappeared into thin air.

On a whim, Neal slid forward on his chair and began etching a pattern into the fabric of the seat cushion. It was a convenient material that could hold a message that would be overlooked by the hasty kidnapper but picked up by intuitive Peter. Neal's fingers traced an 'H' in a circle over and over again; the notorious sign for a helicopter pad. He hoped that even if Peter was late, he would get the message and rush to the roof in time to stop the helicopter.

As Jorgen turned towards Neal, the boy inconspicuously stopped his carving and now focused on reading his lips. The words he interpreted tempted him to panic yet smile at the same time: "The helicopter's here? Good, because the FBI has surrounded the building."

So let me know what you guys think. What do you think about Jorgen as a bad guy so far? I tried to make him cruel yet pittable; I personally feel bad for him and later Neal will reveal a little more about twisted Jorgen. Did you readers catch the irony? I loved the part where Neal came to the realization that Peter thought of him as more than a criminal since in the real show, it was actually Peter who told Neal that he wasn't anything more than a criminal. It's just my way of slapping Peter in the face. Also, in the following chapter, this part of the conflict will come to a close, but should I have Jorgen be killed or arrested?

Preview for the next few chapters: The Sly Cooper conflict will come to a close and then the Burke's and Neal will receive a little downtime with some fluffy chapters :) But even crazier conflict lurks around the bend as Neal's mother will be coming back soon! Dun dun dun...