What's meant to be will always find a way - Chapter 10: Our son
Author: NYWCgirl
Fandom: White collar
Pairing: None
Characters: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke, Elizabeth Burke, Satchmo
Warning/genre: friendship , child neglect, CPS, protective Peter, kidfic
Spoilers: none
Rating: Gen
Author’s Notes: This fic fills the ‘Culture shock’ square on my H/C Bingo card.
CPS = Child Protective Services
Word Count: ~510
Summary: Fifty ways Peter and Neal could have met. After a medical discharge from the FBI, Peter recently started at the CPS. He is assigned his first solo case.
This chapter can also be found on AO3
.
Peter stops the car in front of the house. He checks the address again, this can´t be right, this is not a house, more a condemned building. It turns out he is at the right address so he gets out of the car, taking care to lock it. This is really a bad neighborhood. Not that he is afraid, he has been a law enforcement agent for more than fifteen years, so he trusts his skills and instincts. But this really isn´t a place to raise a child.
He walks up to the building but the door isn´t locked, so he pushes it open. His hand wants to go for his holster, but he isn´t wearing one, so he lowers it again.
‘Anybody here? CPS! I´m coming in.’
He waits a couple of seconds, but there is no response, so he slowly walks in.
The hallway with its stairs is empty, the address is luckily located on the ground floor, so he doesn´t have to test the stairs. He rings the doorbell but there is no response. He can hear something moving in the apartment so he calls out, ‘Child Protective Services.’
Nothing.
‘Look, if you don´t open the door, I will call the cops.’
It stays quiet in the apartment. Peter knows better than to try and force his way in, so he takes his cell and calls a buddy from a nearby precinct to come and give him a hand, who promises to come over immediately.
Once the squad car arrives, he calls the two officers in and explains that he expect there is a child in need inside, so they force the door and enter. The two cops quickly scan the house, but there is nobody in sight. Peter takes in the state of the house. The state of the furniture can only be described as filthy and when he makes his way into the kitchen, there are dishes piled on top of each other. It is clear that the house hasn´t been cleaned in quite some time.
Suddenly there is a noise and the two cops aim their guns at the spot, but peter gestures to put away the guns, which they reluctantly do.
‘Neal?’
Nothing.
‘Neal? My name is Peter, I am with CPS and I am here for you. I want to see if you are alright.’
He kneels next to the bed and looks under it. There, all the way in the back is a trembling form of a small boy. His eyes are shut and he is rocking himself back and forth.
‘Hey Neal, can you open your eyes for me. You are safe, the police is here to and they will protect us, OK?’
Slowly the boy uncurls and opens his eyes. Brilliant blue eyes look with Peter´s and he smiles, trying to convey trust and safety.
‘It’s OK, take your time, but I promise everything is OK and you can come out.’
The boy doesn´t move, but Peter has a trick up his sleeve. He opens a Snickers bar and he can hear the boy’s stomach growl when he smells the sugary treat.
‘You can have it, if you talk to me.‘
The boy doesn´t respond, but he does slowly creep from under the bed, his eyes roving around the room for possible threats. Peter holds out another Snicker bar that is still wrapped while biting in his.
The boy studies him, probably to see if it is a trap and when he thinks Peter doesn´t pay attention, he snatches the candy from Peter´s hand. He stuffs his mouth with it and Peter is moment concerned the kid will choke on the candy.
‘Hey slow it down, you will choke. I will get you another one after I get you something to eat that is more substantial.’
The boy looks with wide blue eyes at him.
‘IS there anybody else home?’
The boy shakes his head.
‘Your mum?’
The boy shrugs his shoulders.
‘Dad?’
A head shake.
Peter sighs and gets up, ‘well Neal, it looks like you are coming with me.’
The boys looks unsure, and Peter smiles, ‘look, the police is here as well, I am not kidnapping you, but you can´t stay by yourself.’
‘I take care of myself,’ the boy states with a wavering voice.
Peter heart breaks by the small confession.
‘I know bud and you did good, but someone should be taking care of you. Is there anything you want to bring?’
Neal walks back to the bed and pulls a worn and filthy stuffed crocodile from underneath and walks up to Peter.
‘Where are we going?’
‘To my office, so we can find you a nice family where you can stay.’
The boy’s face falls and Peter is not sure why, but he takes the boys hand and walks to his car. He buckles Neal in the car seat and thanks the cops for their assistance.
* * *
‘Peter, I don´t have any foster families at the moment, so we will set him up in a shelter and tomorrow we will continue our search.’
‘I´m sorry Nancy, but that is not acceptable, I will take him home with me for the night and tomorrow like you said, we will continue.’
‘Peter, you know that is not the way the system works.’
‘I know Nancy, but the kid is terrified, abandoned by his parents, I can´t do it. I am taking him home. Elizabeth and I applied to be a foster family, so…’
Nancy sighs, she knows Peter well enough to know he won´t change his mind, so she fills in the necessary paperwork while Peter calls Elizabeth to tell her they will be having a guest.
Peter walks back into the family room where Neal is reading a book, curled up in a corner of the couch.
‘Let´s go kid, you are coming with me tonight.’
Neal looks up, puts the book down and takes his stuffed animal. Peter makes a mental note to have Elizabeth wash the thing.
They drive home and Neal stays silent throughout the ride. When he enters Peter´s home, his eyes widen in surprise. Elizabeth walks up and smiles, ‘you must be Neal, I am Elizabeth, Peter´s wife, welcome.’
Before Neal can respond, Satchmo pounces on the boy, licking him and hitting him with his tail while he enthusiastically welcomes the new tiny human.
Elizabeth reprimands Satchmo, but Neal is giggling and hugs the dog. They now see that Neal misses his front teeth.
‘Well, you met Elizabeth and Satchmo; let’s go inside.’ Peter laughs.
Neal nods.
‘Why don´t you go and clean up while I make dinner.’ Elizabeth says while walking to the kitchen, ‘everything you need is in the bathroom.’
Peter walks Neal to the upstairs bathroom and as said, there is clean underwear and PJ´s. Peter gives him shampoo and soap and tells him to take a shower, and to come downstairs when he is done, so they can eat.
It doesn´t take long before Neal comes down, his hair is damp and he attempted to comb it, but it is still sticking out in different places. He is wearing the clean clothes Elizabeth laid out for him. He comes to the table where Peter is already sitting, reading a newspaper. Satchmo immediately walks over to Neal. Neal stops in front of the table.
‘What’s wrong sweetie, sit down. Dinner is ready.’
‘Where do I sit?’
‘Where ever you like.’
Neal takes the seat next to Peter, who smiles when he folds away his newspaper.
‘I see that you clean up nicely.’
Elizabeth walks up with a casserole filled with Mac and cheese. Neal´s eyes widen and they can see he is starving.
‘Gone on, take some.’
Neal doesn´t move so Peter takes the spoon and serves a portion on Neal´s plate.
‘If you want more, you can have more when you finish this, OK? But remember, Elizabeth always makes dessert, so… you should save a spot.’
Neal nods eagerly, starting to eat before the adults can see Bon appetite.
Peter watches the little boy eat. How is he ever going to put this kid in the system?
.
Fandom: White collar
Pairing: None
Characters: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke, Elizabeth Burke, Satchmo
Warning/genre: friendship , child neglect, CPS, protective Peter, kidfic
Spoilers: none
Rating: Gen
Author’s Notes: This fic fills the ‘Culture shock’ square on my H/C Bingo card.
CPS = Child Protective Services
Word Count: ~510
Summary: Fifty ways Peter and Neal could have met. After a medical discharge from the FBI, Peter recently started at the CPS. He is assigned his first solo case.
This chapter can also be found on AO3
.
Peter stops the car in front of the house. He checks the address again, this can´t be right, this is not a house, more a condemned building. It turns out he is at the right address so he gets out of the car, taking care to lock it. This is really a bad neighborhood. Not that he is afraid, he has been a law enforcement agent for more than fifteen years, so he trusts his skills and instincts. But this really isn´t a place to raise a child.
He walks up to the building but the door isn´t locked, so he pushes it open. His hand wants to go for his holster, but he isn´t wearing one, so he lowers it again.
‘Anybody here? CPS! I´m coming in.’
He waits a couple of seconds, but there is no response, so he slowly walks in.
The hallway with its stairs is empty, the address is luckily located on the ground floor, so he doesn´t have to test the stairs. He rings the doorbell but there is no response. He can hear something moving in the apartment so he calls out, ‘Child Protective Services.’
Nothing.
‘Look, if you don´t open the door, I will call the cops.’
It stays quiet in the apartment. Peter knows better than to try and force his way in, so he takes his cell and calls a buddy from a nearby precinct to come and give him a hand, who promises to come over immediately.
Once the squad car arrives, he calls the two officers in and explains that he expect there is a child in need inside, so they force the door and enter. The two cops quickly scan the house, but there is nobody in sight. Peter takes in the state of the house. The state of the furniture can only be described as filthy and when he makes his way into the kitchen, there are dishes piled on top of each other. It is clear that the house hasn´t been cleaned in quite some time.
Suddenly there is a noise and the two cops aim their guns at the spot, but peter gestures to put away the guns, which they reluctantly do.
‘Neal?’
Nothing.
‘Neal? My name is Peter, I am with CPS and I am here for you. I want to see if you are alright.’
He kneels next to the bed and looks under it. There, all the way in the back is a trembling form of a small boy. His eyes are shut and he is rocking himself back and forth.
‘Hey Neal, can you open your eyes for me. You are safe, the police is here to and they will protect us, OK?’
Slowly the boy uncurls and opens his eyes. Brilliant blue eyes look with Peter´s and he smiles, trying to convey trust and safety.
‘It’s OK, take your time, but I promise everything is OK and you can come out.’
The boy doesn´t move, but Peter has a trick up his sleeve. He opens a Snickers bar and he can hear the boy’s stomach growl when he smells the sugary treat.
‘You can have it, if you talk to me.‘
The boy doesn´t respond, but he does slowly creep from under the bed, his eyes roving around the room for possible threats. Peter holds out another Snicker bar that is still wrapped while biting in his.
The boy studies him, probably to see if it is a trap and when he thinks Peter doesn´t pay attention, he snatches the candy from Peter´s hand. He stuffs his mouth with it and Peter is moment concerned the kid will choke on the candy.
‘Hey slow it down, you will choke. I will get you another one after I get you something to eat that is more substantial.’
The boy looks with wide blue eyes at him.
‘IS there anybody else home?’
The boy shakes his head.
‘Your mum?’
The boy shrugs his shoulders.
‘Dad?’
A head shake.
Peter sighs and gets up, ‘well Neal, it looks like you are coming with me.’
The boys looks unsure, and Peter smiles, ‘look, the police is here as well, I am not kidnapping you, but you can´t stay by yourself.’
‘I take care of myself,’ the boy states with a wavering voice.
Peter heart breaks by the small confession.
‘I know bud and you did good, but someone should be taking care of you. Is there anything you want to bring?’
Neal walks back to the bed and pulls a worn and filthy stuffed crocodile from underneath and walks up to Peter.
‘Where are we going?’
‘To my office, so we can find you a nice family where you can stay.’
The boy’s face falls and Peter is not sure why, but he takes the boys hand and walks to his car. He buckles Neal in the car seat and thanks the cops for their assistance.
* * *
‘Peter, I don´t have any foster families at the moment, so we will set him up in a shelter and tomorrow we will continue our search.’
‘I´m sorry Nancy, but that is not acceptable, I will take him home with me for the night and tomorrow like you said, we will continue.’
‘Peter, you know that is not the way the system works.’
‘I know Nancy, but the kid is terrified, abandoned by his parents, I can´t do it. I am taking him home. Elizabeth and I applied to be a foster family, so…’
Nancy sighs, she knows Peter well enough to know he won´t change his mind, so she fills in the necessary paperwork while Peter calls Elizabeth to tell her they will be having a guest.
Peter walks back into the family room where Neal is reading a book, curled up in a corner of the couch.
‘Let´s go kid, you are coming with me tonight.’
Neal looks up, puts the book down and takes his stuffed animal. Peter makes a mental note to have Elizabeth wash the thing.
They drive home and Neal stays silent throughout the ride. When he enters Peter´s home, his eyes widen in surprise. Elizabeth walks up and smiles, ‘you must be Neal, I am Elizabeth, Peter´s wife, welcome.’
Before Neal can respond, Satchmo pounces on the boy, licking him and hitting him with his tail while he enthusiastically welcomes the new tiny human.
Elizabeth reprimands Satchmo, but Neal is giggling and hugs the dog. They now see that Neal misses his front teeth.
‘Well, you met Elizabeth and Satchmo; let’s go inside.’ Peter laughs.
Neal nods.
‘Why don´t you go and clean up while I make dinner.’ Elizabeth says while walking to the kitchen, ‘everything you need is in the bathroom.’
Peter walks Neal to the upstairs bathroom and as said, there is clean underwear and PJ´s. Peter gives him shampoo and soap and tells him to take a shower, and to come downstairs when he is done, so they can eat.
It doesn´t take long before Neal comes down, his hair is damp and he attempted to comb it, but it is still sticking out in different places. He is wearing the clean clothes Elizabeth laid out for him. He comes to the table where Peter is already sitting, reading a newspaper. Satchmo immediately walks over to Neal. Neal stops in front of the table.
‘What’s wrong sweetie, sit down. Dinner is ready.’
‘Where do I sit?’
‘Where ever you like.’
Neal takes the seat next to Peter, who smiles when he folds away his newspaper.
‘I see that you clean up nicely.’
Elizabeth walks up with a casserole filled with Mac and cheese. Neal´s eyes widen and they can see he is starving.
‘Gone on, take some.’
Neal doesn´t move so Peter takes the spoon and serves a portion on Neal´s plate.
‘If you want more, you can have more when you finish this, OK? But remember, Elizabeth always makes dessert, so… you should save a spot.’
Neal nods eagerly, starting to eat before the adults can see Bon appetite.
Peter watches the little boy eat. How is he ever going to put this kid in the system?
.