Handlers and Healing
Title: Handlers and Healing
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Peter/El, Neal
Verse: Steal The Sky
Fandoms: White Collar, Firefly, Leverage Cameo
Summary: A case gone south, a handler abusing his agent, reminders of how this all happened... just another typical tuesday.
Notes:Written for LMX_V3point3 as a christmas present, finally getting around to posting it.
Takes place in my Steal the Sky verse and will make a whole lot more sense if you read Steal the Sky (the long fic that started the mess and introduces the verse). Reading The Two Son's Job (a long fic that ties in White Collar for which this story contains spoilers) would also probably help. Both can be found on the above linked masterlist. But if you want to wing it I try to explain as I go.
This takes place at the tag end of Front Man.
Warnings: Secret agencies enslaving main characters, Alternate Universe.
There’s chaos all around him, agents rushing around to collect evidence and take statements and make sure the hostage is safe.
Peter should be… doing something. He’s not even sure. Because he’s staring across the crime scene, watching Neal watch the girl he’d just helped save walk away, but all he’s seeing is a scene almost a decade ago, moments before Eliot went in for that ill fated first job. Peter was realizing exactly how close to the ledge Neal was standing.
He blinks away the flashback and breathes through the feeling of dread settling in his stomach.
At least the case was done. At least he knew what to do, how to reach Neal, now.
~*~
Eliot should have prepared Peter.
After all, in just over six months knowing the kid Peter’s world had been shifted so fundamentally...
But the first time Peter worked with Neal he nearly got whiplash.
Most of it was their first job together - it had started so simple and spun out so quickly.
With Neal fresh off the ship they’d started going after a pyramid scheme only for Eliot to show up, desperate and scared, and Neal had gotten into contact with a former agent to help smooth things over and…
If Peter had had a choice he wouldn’t even begin to know where to start on making that situation less of a fiasco but maybe it happened the best way that it could.
It had been less than a month since Peter had been forced to watch Eliot board a ship back to Olympus. Peter hadn’t trusted Neal, not the way he’d trusted Eliot, but the situation had given them no choice, and Neal had found out about Sebastian. He’d been the one to introduce them to Mozzie and they’d all worked together to make it work.
Mozzie said that secrets kept people together. Peter hated to say it but the knowledge that Neal had risked his life, that a complete stranger had risked his freedom, for the sake of giving Eliot's infant son a chance of a better life…
Mozzie was a criminal but much of Peter’s perception of criminals had changed in those days.
And Neal… In those days there had been something wild and reckless behind that charming smile, but Neal had risked everything for Sebastian and Peter knew that somewhere in there was something good in him, that the alliance hadn’t managed to stamp out.
The way Neal had looked at him in the days after that… the barely hidden distrust and borderline contempt was replaced by contemplation. Neal was realizing that he hadn’t figured Peter out as completely as he had thought.
When they first met Eliot had been in crisis, too far past caring to bother with suspicion and Peter had been able to pull him in and get to work. With Neal they had started out facing off like gun slingers at high noon. Sebastian had gotten them past that but they still had to carefully circle close to each other before anything could happen.
They had still been circling closer when word came that one of Neal’s clan mates had made a run for it. Olympus law dictated that following an escape all members of that clan would be taken back to Olympus for four years of re-education.
When Neal looked back from the walk to the ship there was real fear in his eyes and Peter had been sure he would never see Neal again.
~*~
Cabbot is approaching Neal, their words are stilted and awkward as Cabbot tries to not apologise while changing her behavior and Neal… he acts like Neal but Peter can tell. His voice has sharp edges instead of smooth, his hands are shaking a little, that desperate, cornered look is back in his eyes.
There’s an explosion imminent, Peter can feel it like the coming of a bad storm, only he’s not sure what form it’ll take here and now. In the offices there were little outlets and pressure valves but…
Peter heads over, hoping to be able to delay or lessen whatever’s coming, studying Neal for some clue.
It’s only as he get’s closer that Peter catches the hint of burnt clothing and singed hair, sees the signs that Taser was used on Neal, and he understands.
“Neal.” He keeps his voice even as he reaches them, settles a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’m taking you home.” Neal looks towards Peter, the wild gleam in his eyes easing slightly despite the confusion on his face. “I’ll clear it.”
He doesn’t want to make this call in front of Cabbot, but doesn’t want to leave Neal alone. He knew Neal wouldn’t do anything here but that look in his eyes is too familiar, like a ghost of Eliot’s desperation haunting them, and Peter can’t quite make himself believe that, if pushed far enough, Neal won’t do something…
~*~
Things had been different when Neal was sent back to them, after his four years back on Olympus, and yet very much the same.
At first Peter could barely detect any mark the four years had left on Neal. His smiles were still charming, his speech perfectly indirect.
His skills were as sharp as ever.
There had been shaky moments. The room Neal and Eliot had both stayed in once was now Satch’s bedroom and Peter was aware that even if it didn’t seem like it, there were eyes watching them closely.
Still Neal had found a place (a palace, almost) to stay and they’d settled in.
It took a job. Peter would later brood with El that it had taken an entire job for him to realize it.
Decaf and caffeinated coffee pots switched, mugs moved, wallets relocated, neatly alphabetized files inexplicably reorganized chronologically. Gremlins, someone in the office had joked. The acts were annoying, but harmless.
It had taken until the end of their first job back together for Peter to realize Neal was behind it.
The acts had escalated.
When a junior agent sliced their finger open on a box cutter hidden amid files Peter had nearly lost it. He called Caffrey into his office. He laid out the pranks that had become all too vicious, laid out how he knew it was Caffrey, and watched as the boy’s face set into something impassive, but a smirk crossed his face.
“Well,” Neal had said as if they were just discussing another case and nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. “It seems like someone’s been a bad agent.” He cocked his head to the right, showing neck, reminding Peter of the chip there under his skin.
And Peter had realized the big mistake he’d made.
Eliot’s despair had turned to rage before evening out into something sustainable but in the end whatever he was feeling had always spiraled back inward. Eliot was self-contained; with his gift as it was, the only way to preserve himself was to always circle back to himself. It, unfortunately, meant his despair deepened easily and he took out his anger on himself but other than sanctioned fights and some deck furniture he never hurt anyone but himself.
That moment Peter looked Caffrey in the eyes and realized Neal wasn’t much farther away from the ledge than Eliot had been.
He was just exploding rather than imploding, lashing out in anger and desperation the only way he could.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Peter had said. “That’s not how this works.”
Neal didn’t even blink as he asked. “How does this work?”
“You stop hurting my agents or I send you back home.” Peter pulled out the transmitter from his desk and held it out toward Caffrey. “You help me catch bad guys, you use your skills to help us close cases and stay safe, hell switch the coffee to decaf if it’s the only thing that brightens your day but...” He closed his hand around the transmitter and pulled it back close. “Next time you pull a stunt that was meant to hurt someone? We’re done. You can have the good life here or rage against the verse on Olympus but you can’t have both. Understand?”
Neal only nodded.
There were no more mysterious injuries. The pranks became more frequent for a short time then faded away almost entirely. Peter liked to think it had something to do with the work they were doing. The last prank came before the case with the Book of Hours.
As they walked out of that church, bantering about the powers of god, and “found” the illegally purloined windbreaker, Neal had looked towards Peter and for just a moment there had been no shadow of fear or wild desperate edge lurking behind that smile.
It hadn’t lasted. The more Neal became comfortable in his new life the more he began to obsess about Kate, still trapped on Olympus and apparently in trouble, and the more viciously he protected the freedom he’d gained. It had taken a lot of fast talking and careful manipulations of loop holes to keep Neal out of trouble in the cases that followed, not to mention trouble seemed to follow the agent everywhere, and the conspiracy within the conspiracy had made Peter’s brain hurt but…
It was worth it. Every time Neal gave that grin of his, flush with success at stopping the bad guys and helping those who’d been hurt, life instead of wild desperation in his eyes…
Peter had raged against Olympus in his own way plenty of times but that look and going home to a laughing, growing, Sebastian?
It made the whole mess seem worthwhile.
~*~
“Neal.” Jones’ voice appears behind Peter, official and casual and there’s nothing out of the ordinary. “I need to take your statement.”
Peter normally takes Neal’s statements. Partly because, as his handler, that’s Peter’s job, and partly because he’s the only one sure to see through any attempted bullshit and judge whether or not the truth is important in the report.
But Jones is smarter than he lets on and Jones has been with Peter since Eliot.
Had been with them when Keller came back around.
Jones wouldn’t be able to stop a meltdown, but he’d be prepared for damage control if one happened in the next few minutes.
“Go with Jones,” Peter told Neal, a rare order, and stepped away to find a quiet place to call Hughes.
~*~
The mess with Kate and Project Mentor had them all wound up but Peter had been able to keep everything under wraps.
For a long time there may have been suspicions and theories but only Peter and Hughes knew the actual situations behind Eliot and Neal. As much as Peter disliked the idea of the rest of their people treating Neal as a criminal (even if, Peter admitted to himself at times, left to his own devices there was a distinct possibility Neal would have become one) it was the rules.
Then Keller had made his appearance.
Peter hadn’t understood at first, Neal was particularly closed mouth about the entire situation, and Peter had already been mentally preparing ways to keep his team off the case should any of them stumble across the situation surrounding the competition, which Peter had assumed was between two agents and sanctioned in some way.
Then Neal had let out a long breath, that old look coming back, and said. “He was the one who ran.”
Peter hadn’t understood then. Not until Neal looked up, grief and rage and that wild desperation on his face. “Matthew Keller, formerly Matthew Caffrey. He was my clan brother who ran.”
The case had spiraled out. Everything had spiraled out.
And in the end the immediate team, the handful of Peter’s closest agents had been called in and told the full details.
Told about project Olympus and Eliot and Neal and everything except for the details regarding a young boy living with adoptive parents to protect him from sharing his father’s fate.
There had been silence, followed by a low simmering rage that lingered beneath the surface to this day.
~*~
“Hughes.”
“It’s Peter,” Peter says, standing off to the side, watching, keeping his voice down. “I need clearance to take Caffrey home as soon as he’s given his statement.”
“Peter, there’s protocol to follow here,” Hughes responds after a moment, hesitancy in his voice. He knows Peter well enough by now to know he wouldn’t be asking for no reason. “If he’s badly hurt he should be taken to a hospital.”
“They used a taser on him.” Peter says. “Repeatedly, from what I can see, and it’s got him freaking out.”
There’s a long quiet. Hughes had known before the others the methods used to keep Olympus agents in line. Other than Jones, Hughes was the only other member of their team who’d known Eliot.
Hell, Hughes had received a copy of Eliot's medical report before it had been classified.
“I don’t know what’s going on in his head but he needs to be somewhere he feels safe until whatever's been brought back up’s been dealt with.”
Hughes sighs. “Take him home Burke.”
Peter finishes the call and heads back over, guiding Neal by the shoulder to their transport.
Not a word passes between them until they enter Peter’s house.
“How long?” Neal asks as they step inside and Neal visibly braces himself for Sebastian’s tackle-hug greeting.
Peter’s “Until I’m sure.” Is nearly covered by the five year old’s shriek of delight at the sight of his playmate.
~*~
Later Peter would claim Neal invaded his home and bribed his son into demanding Neal be allowed over to play whenever he wanted.
In reality no one in the Burke household really knows exactly when Neal managed to worm his way into their lives so thoroughly and Neal certainly wasn’t telling.
It wasn’t so much that Peter was against the idea. He’d gotten close to Eliot and there was a similar intelligence and spark of something in Neal. But at the same time Eliot had taught him and El a bitter lesson.
By the end of it they’d considered Eliot their son and had been forced to watch him walk back into a life of abuse and constant danger with full knowledge they’d likely never see him again.
Neal being assigned to Peter was no guarantee he wouldn’t share the same fate, and they had Sebastian to think about.
Neal knew the truth. He’d made it clear from day one he was willing to put his life on the line for Sebastian.
But having Neal around meant there was always a risk of someone watching and watching eyes meant a risk someone would discover the truth and…
They’d decided from the beginning to take it slow, to not stop Neal from getting close but to do what they had to to protect Sebastian. They owed that much to Eliot.
Of course that had entirely fallen apart within a couple months of Neal entering their lives.
~*~
Sebastian was waiting for them by the door. He always seemed to know when Peter or Neal were about to walk in. El makes her way over to greet them as Sebastian stops just short of tackling Neal, his face scrunching up; upset.
“Daddy, Neal’s hurt.” The boy looks up to Peter with disapproval on his face. Peter tells himself there are obvious signs that Neal’s not well, that Sebastian is just observant, but he knows they need to stop putting off the conversation with Sebastian about his gifts. By now it’s become obvious he takes after his father and even if their secret isn’t discovered there’s still no promise the Alliance won’t try to get their hands on Sebastian if his gift is discovered.
“Neal’s fine,” Neal says as an answer. “Just had a long day.”
Sebastian takes Neal by the hand without a word and half drags him towards the stairs, talking about how Neal needs looking after. The words are strange from the mouth of a six year old but they’re used to him saying odd things and it gives Peter a moment with El.
“What happened?” El asks. “I know the kidnapping but…”
“They used a taser on him.” Peter responds, keeping his voice down. He sees the understanding dawn on her face and she nods.
“I’ll help Sebastian.” She said with a small nod. “Go set the table. Dinner’s ready.”
She takes a deep breath and heads up the stairs. He can see her unconsciously slipping into the slower movements and deep gentle breaths she’d trained herself to use around Eliot nearly a decade ago when she’d discovered forcing herself to be calm and relaxed would relax him.
The fact it had worked so well on Sebastian as a baby had been the first hint…
Even without Neal sharing that gift, it seemed to work well enough on him.
Peter nodded and turned to go set the table for dinner.
~*~
After things had changed in the offices, after Neal stopped having those little moments where he couldn’t quite stop himself from reacting as if he was sure he was going to be struck or shocked, as he grew more comfortable with them…
They still missed Eliot. Sebastian and Neal were reminders of that absence.
But like Sebastian… in time Neal would make a place in their home, fill a bit of the space left empty when Eliot was ripped away.
There was still the fear that they’d lose him. There was still the worry about those times when that desperate, cornered, look came back into his eyes and Neal lashed out. Peter knew that, even now, Neal was searching for some way to break free of Olympus and rescue Kate and that the cost to his clan wasn’t always first in his mind…
And sometimes they narrowly avoided meltdowns or shut downs or any number of landmines that came from dealing with an Olympus Agent.
But when they sat down to dinner, or sat around a conference table, and Neal looked up and all Peter saw was a brilliant and talented young man…
They might not be able to break the system, change the verse, or bring Eliot home.
But there was a child who’d grow up free and a young man getting a taste of a better life and most days that was enough for Peter.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Peter/El, Neal
Verse: Steal The Sky
Fandoms: White Collar, Firefly, Leverage Cameo
Summary: A case gone south, a handler abusing his agent, reminders of how this all happened... just another typical tuesday.
Notes:Written for LMX_V3point3 as a christmas present, finally getting around to posting it.
Takes place in my Steal the Sky verse and will make a whole lot more sense if you read Steal the Sky (the long fic that started the mess and introduces the verse). Reading The Two Son's Job (a long fic that ties in White Collar for which this story contains spoilers) would also probably help. Both can be found on the above linked masterlist. But if you want to wing it I try to explain as I go.
This takes place at the tag end of Front Man.
Warnings: Secret agencies enslaving main characters, Alternate Universe.
There’s chaos all around him, agents rushing around to collect evidence and take statements and make sure the hostage is safe.
Peter should be… doing something. He’s not even sure. Because he’s staring across the crime scene, watching Neal watch the girl he’d just helped save walk away, but all he’s seeing is a scene almost a decade ago, moments before Eliot went in for that ill fated first job. Peter was realizing exactly how close to the ledge Neal was standing.
He blinks away the flashback and breathes through the feeling of dread settling in his stomach.
At least the case was done. At least he knew what to do, how to reach Neal, now.
~*~
Eliot should have prepared Peter.
After all, in just over six months knowing the kid Peter’s world had been shifted so fundamentally...
But the first time Peter worked with Neal he nearly got whiplash.
Most of it was their first job together - it had started so simple and spun out so quickly.
With Neal fresh off the ship they’d started going after a pyramid scheme only for Eliot to show up, desperate and scared, and Neal had gotten into contact with a former agent to help smooth things over and…
If Peter had had a choice he wouldn’t even begin to know where to start on making that situation less of a fiasco but maybe it happened the best way that it could.
It had been less than a month since Peter had been forced to watch Eliot board a ship back to Olympus. Peter hadn’t trusted Neal, not the way he’d trusted Eliot, but the situation had given them no choice, and Neal had found out about Sebastian. He’d been the one to introduce them to Mozzie and they’d all worked together to make it work.
Mozzie said that secrets kept people together. Peter hated to say it but the knowledge that Neal had risked his life, that a complete stranger had risked his freedom, for the sake of giving Eliot's infant son a chance of a better life…
Mozzie was a criminal but much of Peter’s perception of criminals had changed in those days.
And Neal… In those days there had been something wild and reckless behind that charming smile, but Neal had risked everything for Sebastian and Peter knew that somewhere in there was something good in him, that the alliance hadn’t managed to stamp out.
The way Neal had looked at him in the days after that… the barely hidden distrust and borderline contempt was replaced by contemplation. Neal was realizing that he hadn’t figured Peter out as completely as he had thought.
When they first met Eliot had been in crisis, too far past caring to bother with suspicion and Peter had been able to pull him in and get to work. With Neal they had started out facing off like gun slingers at high noon. Sebastian had gotten them past that but they still had to carefully circle close to each other before anything could happen.
They had still been circling closer when word came that one of Neal’s clan mates had made a run for it. Olympus law dictated that following an escape all members of that clan would be taken back to Olympus for four years of re-education.
When Neal looked back from the walk to the ship there was real fear in his eyes and Peter had been sure he would never see Neal again.
~*~
Cabbot is approaching Neal, their words are stilted and awkward as Cabbot tries to not apologise while changing her behavior and Neal… he acts like Neal but Peter can tell. His voice has sharp edges instead of smooth, his hands are shaking a little, that desperate, cornered look is back in his eyes.
There’s an explosion imminent, Peter can feel it like the coming of a bad storm, only he’s not sure what form it’ll take here and now. In the offices there were little outlets and pressure valves but…
Peter heads over, hoping to be able to delay or lessen whatever’s coming, studying Neal for some clue.
It’s only as he get’s closer that Peter catches the hint of burnt clothing and singed hair, sees the signs that Taser was used on Neal, and he understands.
“Neal.” He keeps his voice even as he reaches them, settles a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’m taking you home.” Neal looks towards Peter, the wild gleam in his eyes easing slightly despite the confusion on his face. “I’ll clear it.”
He doesn’t want to make this call in front of Cabbot, but doesn’t want to leave Neal alone. He knew Neal wouldn’t do anything here but that look in his eyes is too familiar, like a ghost of Eliot’s desperation haunting them, and Peter can’t quite make himself believe that, if pushed far enough, Neal won’t do something…
~*~
Things had been different when Neal was sent back to them, after his four years back on Olympus, and yet very much the same.
At first Peter could barely detect any mark the four years had left on Neal. His smiles were still charming, his speech perfectly indirect.
His skills were as sharp as ever.
There had been shaky moments. The room Neal and Eliot had both stayed in once was now Satch’s bedroom and Peter was aware that even if it didn’t seem like it, there were eyes watching them closely.
Still Neal had found a place (a palace, almost) to stay and they’d settled in.
It took a job. Peter would later brood with El that it had taken an entire job for him to realize it.
Decaf and caffeinated coffee pots switched, mugs moved, wallets relocated, neatly alphabetized files inexplicably reorganized chronologically. Gremlins, someone in the office had joked. The acts were annoying, but harmless.
It had taken until the end of their first job back together for Peter to realize Neal was behind it.
The acts had escalated.
When a junior agent sliced their finger open on a box cutter hidden amid files Peter had nearly lost it. He called Caffrey into his office. He laid out the pranks that had become all too vicious, laid out how he knew it was Caffrey, and watched as the boy’s face set into something impassive, but a smirk crossed his face.
“Well,” Neal had said as if they were just discussing another case and nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. “It seems like someone’s been a bad agent.” He cocked his head to the right, showing neck, reminding Peter of the chip there under his skin.
And Peter had realized the big mistake he’d made.
Eliot’s despair had turned to rage before evening out into something sustainable but in the end whatever he was feeling had always spiraled back inward. Eliot was self-contained; with his gift as it was, the only way to preserve himself was to always circle back to himself. It, unfortunately, meant his despair deepened easily and he took out his anger on himself but other than sanctioned fights and some deck furniture he never hurt anyone but himself.
That moment Peter looked Caffrey in the eyes and realized Neal wasn’t much farther away from the ledge than Eliot had been.
He was just exploding rather than imploding, lashing out in anger and desperation the only way he could.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Peter had said. “That’s not how this works.”
Neal didn’t even blink as he asked. “How does this work?”
“You stop hurting my agents or I send you back home.” Peter pulled out the transmitter from his desk and held it out toward Caffrey. “You help me catch bad guys, you use your skills to help us close cases and stay safe, hell switch the coffee to decaf if it’s the only thing that brightens your day but...” He closed his hand around the transmitter and pulled it back close. “Next time you pull a stunt that was meant to hurt someone? We’re done. You can have the good life here or rage against the verse on Olympus but you can’t have both. Understand?”
Neal only nodded.
There were no more mysterious injuries. The pranks became more frequent for a short time then faded away almost entirely. Peter liked to think it had something to do with the work they were doing. The last prank came before the case with the Book of Hours.
As they walked out of that church, bantering about the powers of god, and “found” the illegally purloined windbreaker, Neal had looked towards Peter and for just a moment there had been no shadow of fear or wild desperate edge lurking behind that smile.
It hadn’t lasted. The more Neal became comfortable in his new life the more he began to obsess about Kate, still trapped on Olympus and apparently in trouble, and the more viciously he protected the freedom he’d gained. It had taken a lot of fast talking and careful manipulations of loop holes to keep Neal out of trouble in the cases that followed, not to mention trouble seemed to follow the agent everywhere, and the conspiracy within the conspiracy had made Peter’s brain hurt but…
It was worth it. Every time Neal gave that grin of his, flush with success at stopping the bad guys and helping those who’d been hurt, life instead of wild desperation in his eyes…
Peter had raged against Olympus in his own way plenty of times but that look and going home to a laughing, growing, Sebastian?
It made the whole mess seem worthwhile.
~*~
“Neal.” Jones’ voice appears behind Peter, official and casual and there’s nothing out of the ordinary. “I need to take your statement.”
Peter normally takes Neal’s statements. Partly because, as his handler, that’s Peter’s job, and partly because he’s the only one sure to see through any attempted bullshit and judge whether or not the truth is important in the report.
But Jones is smarter than he lets on and Jones has been with Peter since Eliot.
Had been with them when Keller came back around.
Jones wouldn’t be able to stop a meltdown, but he’d be prepared for damage control if one happened in the next few minutes.
“Go with Jones,” Peter told Neal, a rare order, and stepped away to find a quiet place to call Hughes.
~*~
The mess with Kate and Project Mentor had them all wound up but Peter had been able to keep everything under wraps.
For a long time there may have been suspicions and theories but only Peter and Hughes knew the actual situations behind Eliot and Neal. As much as Peter disliked the idea of the rest of their people treating Neal as a criminal (even if, Peter admitted to himself at times, left to his own devices there was a distinct possibility Neal would have become one) it was the rules.
Then Keller had made his appearance.
Peter hadn’t understood at first, Neal was particularly closed mouth about the entire situation, and Peter had already been mentally preparing ways to keep his team off the case should any of them stumble across the situation surrounding the competition, which Peter had assumed was between two agents and sanctioned in some way.
Then Neal had let out a long breath, that old look coming back, and said. “He was the one who ran.”
Peter hadn’t understood then. Not until Neal looked up, grief and rage and that wild desperation on his face. “Matthew Keller, formerly Matthew Caffrey. He was my clan brother who ran.”
The case had spiraled out. Everything had spiraled out.
And in the end the immediate team, the handful of Peter’s closest agents had been called in and told the full details.
Told about project Olympus and Eliot and Neal and everything except for the details regarding a young boy living with adoptive parents to protect him from sharing his father’s fate.
There had been silence, followed by a low simmering rage that lingered beneath the surface to this day.
~*~
“Hughes.”
“It’s Peter,” Peter says, standing off to the side, watching, keeping his voice down. “I need clearance to take Caffrey home as soon as he’s given his statement.”
“Peter, there’s protocol to follow here,” Hughes responds after a moment, hesitancy in his voice. He knows Peter well enough by now to know he wouldn’t be asking for no reason. “If he’s badly hurt he should be taken to a hospital.”
“They used a taser on him.” Peter says. “Repeatedly, from what I can see, and it’s got him freaking out.”
There’s a long quiet. Hughes had known before the others the methods used to keep Olympus agents in line. Other than Jones, Hughes was the only other member of their team who’d known Eliot.
Hell, Hughes had received a copy of Eliot's medical report before it had been classified.
“I don’t know what’s going on in his head but he needs to be somewhere he feels safe until whatever's been brought back up’s been dealt with.”
Hughes sighs. “Take him home Burke.”
Peter finishes the call and heads back over, guiding Neal by the shoulder to their transport.
Not a word passes between them until they enter Peter’s house.
“How long?” Neal asks as they step inside and Neal visibly braces himself for Sebastian’s tackle-hug greeting.
Peter’s “Until I’m sure.” Is nearly covered by the five year old’s shriek of delight at the sight of his playmate.
~*~
Later Peter would claim Neal invaded his home and bribed his son into demanding Neal be allowed over to play whenever he wanted.
In reality no one in the Burke household really knows exactly when Neal managed to worm his way into their lives so thoroughly and Neal certainly wasn’t telling.
It wasn’t so much that Peter was against the idea. He’d gotten close to Eliot and there was a similar intelligence and spark of something in Neal. But at the same time Eliot had taught him and El a bitter lesson.
By the end of it they’d considered Eliot their son and had been forced to watch him walk back into a life of abuse and constant danger with full knowledge they’d likely never see him again.
Neal being assigned to Peter was no guarantee he wouldn’t share the same fate, and they had Sebastian to think about.
Neal knew the truth. He’d made it clear from day one he was willing to put his life on the line for Sebastian.
But having Neal around meant there was always a risk of someone watching and watching eyes meant a risk someone would discover the truth and…
They’d decided from the beginning to take it slow, to not stop Neal from getting close but to do what they had to to protect Sebastian. They owed that much to Eliot.
Of course that had entirely fallen apart within a couple months of Neal entering their lives.
~*~
Sebastian was waiting for them by the door. He always seemed to know when Peter or Neal were about to walk in. El makes her way over to greet them as Sebastian stops just short of tackling Neal, his face scrunching up; upset.
“Daddy, Neal’s hurt.” The boy looks up to Peter with disapproval on his face. Peter tells himself there are obvious signs that Neal’s not well, that Sebastian is just observant, but he knows they need to stop putting off the conversation with Sebastian about his gifts. By now it’s become obvious he takes after his father and even if their secret isn’t discovered there’s still no promise the Alliance won’t try to get their hands on Sebastian if his gift is discovered.
“Neal’s fine,” Neal says as an answer. “Just had a long day.”
Sebastian takes Neal by the hand without a word and half drags him towards the stairs, talking about how Neal needs looking after. The words are strange from the mouth of a six year old but they’re used to him saying odd things and it gives Peter a moment with El.
“What happened?” El asks. “I know the kidnapping but…”
“They used a taser on him.” Peter responds, keeping his voice down. He sees the understanding dawn on her face and she nods.
“I’ll help Sebastian.” She said with a small nod. “Go set the table. Dinner’s ready.”
She takes a deep breath and heads up the stairs. He can see her unconsciously slipping into the slower movements and deep gentle breaths she’d trained herself to use around Eliot nearly a decade ago when she’d discovered forcing herself to be calm and relaxed would relax him.
The fact it had worked so well on Sebastian as a baby had been the first hint…
Even without Neal sharing that gift, it seemed to work well enough on him.
Peter nodded and turned to go set the table for dinner.
~*~
After things had changed in the offices, after Neal stopped having those little moments where he couldn’t quite stop himself from reacting as if he was sure he was going to be struck or shocked, as he grew more comfortable with them…
They still missed Eliot. Sebastian and Neal were reminders of that absence.
But like Sebastian… in time Neal would make a place in their home, fill a bit of the space left empty when Eliot was ripped away.
There was still the fear that they’d lose him. There was still the worry about those times when that desperate, cornered, look came back into his eyes and Neal lashed out. Peter knew that, even now, Neal was searching for some way to break free of Olympus and rescue Kate and that the cost to his clan wasn’t always first in his mind…
And sometimes they narrowly avoided meltdowns or shut downs or any number of landmines that came from dealing with an Olympus Agent.
But when they sat down to dinner, or sat around a conference table, and Neal looked up and all Peter saw was a brilliant and talented young man…
They might not be able to break the system, change the verse, or bring Eliot home.
But there was a child who’d grow up free and a young man getting a taste of a better life and most days that was enough for Peter.