New York City, Christmas Eve, 2012

Neal looked out at the falling snow and wondered if it was really as quiet outside as it looked. Considering how hard the snow was coming down, there wouldn’t be many cars out on the roads, that was for sure. It was possible, just possible, that the city herself was having a peaceful Christmas for the first time in a long time.

Laughter from behind caught his attention and Neal turned to find Elizabeth and Peter coming into the living room with their arms full of presents. He smiled, unable not to, and asked, “Any of those for me, or do I get coal again this year?”

Eyes sparkling with good humor, Elizabeth teased, “I don’t know, Neal, do you think you deserve any presents this year?”

“I always deserve presents,” Neal protested, grinning.

Peter made a rude noise and ordered, “Sit. I’m going to pour drinks and then we’re going to toast the holiday, among other things.”

Chuckling, Neal sat on the sofa and was surprised when Elizabeth sat beside him. He quirked an eyebrow at her and asked, “Yes?”

“We’re going to have to work on that suspicious nature of yours,” she commented, leaning against him.

A little surprised at what amounted to cuddling and not wanting to ruin the night by getting beaten to a pulp by Peter, Neal tried to extricate gracefully only to have Elizabeth take his hand. He pursed his lips when she laced their fingers together, but let her keep it, enjoying her small, smooth hand in his. He finally offered, “Merry Christmas?”

Her head rested on his shoulder and she agreed warmly, “It will be.”

Peter came back just then and, to Neal’s surprise, smiled fondly at them before handing each a tumbler with a deep amber liquid. A bigger surprise, since when Neal wafted it under his nose, he determined it was the really good stuff. Looking up at Peter, who was gazing at him with a somewhat goofy expression, Neal asked, “Okay, what’s going on? Am I being sent back to prison? Is this my last night of freedom?”

Rolling his eyes, Peter said to Elizabeth, “I told you he’d think that.”

Her laugh was soft and kind and she prompted, “So just tell him.”

“Which part first?”

“Well, they’re both good news, so that’s up to you.”

Neal bit his tongue not to demand they just get on with it. He’d learned over the last three years that when Peter and Elizabeth were doing something, they would not be rushed. Ever. Especially if Elizabeth was in charge which, of course, she inevitably was. Not that he minded. If she hadn’t married Peter, Neal wouldn’t have minded being under her thumb in exactly the same way.

Sitting on the coffee table, which put Peter directly in front of them, the other man ordered, “Give me your foot.”

Neal’s eyebrows lifted. “Excuse me?”

“Just give me the damn foot already,” Peter demanded impatiently.

Knowing which one he meant, Neal lifted the foot that currently held the tracking bracelet. Peter rested it on his thigh and picked up the pair of scissors on the table nearby. Neal’s eyes widened in shock when Peter cut through the band and then dangled it in front of him.

“Go on, take it. Smash it against the wall, if you want. But the one without a window, please. You’re free, Neal Caffrey.”

Neal frowned at him, not sure what he meant. “Free for the night? Until New Year’s?”

Peter’s smile got even bigger as he clarified, “Free and clear. On parole nevermore. Well, unless you do something monumentally stupid and get arrested again. And then I really will leave you there.”

Stunned, Neal just sat there gripping the tumbler in one hand and Elizabeth’s hand in the other.

Elizabeth chuckled again and urged, “Tell him the other good news before he runs for it.”

Peter flushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck before saying, “Well, it’s more of an offer than strictly good news. Two part offer. Well, one official one and…”

“Peter and I want to invite you to be with us,” Elizabeth broke in. “And the FBI wants to make you an official consultant. One is not dependent upon the other, of course. You can accept either offer, or neither, it’s completely up to you.”

Reeling from the whole situation, Neal finally tugged free of her and jumped to his feet, rushing a short distance away and then pulling up short. He stood there for a long time before he heard Peter mutter, “I knew it would be too much. We should’ve waited.”

Elizabeth didn’t answer, instead walking up behind Neal and putting a gentle hand on his arm. She looked up at him and asked, “Neal? Are you all right?”

“A little overwhelmed,” he answered honestly.

She smiled and said, “That’s all right. And the front door is right there if you want to use it, if you need to prove that you can go wherever you want. Neither Peter nor I would hold it against you and our offer will always stand. Although I can’t speak for the job offer.”

Even to himself, his voice sounded plaintive as he said, “I don’t understand any of this.”

Elizabeth rubbed his arm soothingly. “After everything you’ve been through the last few years, Peter’s been working on getting you an early release. Not only did it come through just a couple of days ago, but it came with a job offer, which we thought it would be a nice Christmas gift. And as for the other offer, well, we both care for you deeply, Neal, you know that.”

He did know that. They’d been exceptionally good to him since the start of the “work-release.” Elizabeth had always been very kind to him and Peter, well, there’d been an attraction between them even before his arrest. Maybe it had sprung up during the chase, when they’d learned everything there was to know about one another in order to keep the chase going. Maybe it had just been inevitable, given their opposite personalities.

When he glanced over at Peter, it was to find a hesitant expression on the normally confident man’s face, as if he truly wanted Neal to say yes and stay, but didn’t think that he would. All of that flashed through his mind in an instant. Neal at last answered, “This is…a lot to take in. I think…I think I just need some time to, you know, process everything.”

“Of course,” Elizabeth agreed immediately. “Whatever you need. Do you want to spend the night at least? It’s coming down pretty bad out there.”

Neal shook his head and moved to grab his jacket on the coat hook by the door.

“Neal, wait.”

Turning back at Peter’s quiet call, Neal took in the other man’s pained expression and understood how much it had cost him to make the offer, even if Elizabeth had been the one to do the talking.

Peter finally just said, “Be careful.”

Neal nodded and left before he could give in to the impulse to stay and let them take care of him, which he knew they wanted to do. They were the care-giving sort and he was the care-needing sort. It would be a good arrangement for all of them. Not to mention that he was willing to bet that the sex would be pretty spectacular.

Freedom beckoned, though, and he could finally answer her call for the first time in years. Neal went through the door to the outside world and lifted his face to the sky, letting the snow fall upon him with a feeling of pure happiness.

He was free.

New York City, New Year’s Eve, 2011

Peter squeezed Elizabeth’s shoulder as they sat on the sofa, waiting for the Times Square Ball to drop on the television. It was still five minutes to go, so there was time to just sit together. Things had been quiet since Neal had disappeared, both at the office and at home. He hadn’t really expected the younger man to accept their offer, but knew that Elizabeth had been disappointed. So had he, if Peter was being truthful.

He’d been checking on all the aliases that Neal had been suspected of using, but so far, none of them had had any activity on them. He also hadn’t been back to June’s apartment and if he’d left the country, a new alias had been invented in a very short period of time. It was too bad Peter didn’t know Mos’ phone or address, because he damn sure would have beaten down the little man’s door to make sure Neal was all right.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Elizabeth said, squeezing his hand.

Peter smiled at her and replied, “Sorry. Can’t help thinking about him right now.”

She nodded and kissed him gently before saying, “I know. Me too.”

The doorbell startled him and he frowned at her. “You expecting someone?”

Elizabeth shook her head and asked, “Did you turn your phone off? Maybe there’s an emergency.”

Peter cursed under his breath. “I did. Sorry, honey. I’ll see what’s going on.”

He stood up and hurried to the door, getting ready to yell at Jones or Cruz if it was either of them and not a serious emergency. When Peter opened the door to find Neal shivering on the steps, he just stood there in shock. The younger man was dressed in a suit, his typical show-offy kind, but had no real jacket or hat and was shuddering violently with the bitter cold.

Neal gave him a pathetic look and asked with chattering teeth, “C-can I c-c-come in-n-n?”

Throwing off the shock, Peter grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in with an aggravated, “Where’s your damn coat? Or a hat? For God’s sake, Neal, do you even think before you get dressed to go out? It’s December in New York City!”

“Neal?” Elizabeth exclaimed, rushing over with a blanket, which she promptly wrapped around him. “Peter, get him over to the fireplace.”

Peter was already ushering him there, a firm arm around the slender waist. Shaking his head, he pushed Neal onto the nearest chair and then pushed it a little closer as he demanded, “How long were you outside? Do you have hypothermia? I should call the hospital. Elizabeth, where’s the damn phone?”

Neal’s very cold hand caught his and he said, “N-no. I’m f-f-f-fine. The c-cab cut-t out a b-b-b-block away. W-w-wasn’t-t outsid-de for ver-r-ry long.”

“Long enough, I’d say,” Elizabeth said smartly. “I’ll get some tea going.”

As she rushed to the kitchen, Peter scowled at Neal and informed him, “You haven’t got a lick of sense.”

Neal grinned at him. “Aw Peter, you m-missed m-m-me!”

Rolling his eyes, not wanting to admit that he had, Peter just asked, “So what brings you freezing to our doorstep tonight?”

“W-w-well, I’ve b-been thinking. Y-you know. About-t th-the offers.”

Peter muttered, “Oh hell,” and sat beside him. It was a tight fit, so he manhandled the smaller man half onto his lap. Wrapping an arm around Neal, he rubbed up and down the other’s shoulders, hoping the body heat would warm him up quicker.

Unexpectedly, Neal leaned in and kissed him.

Peter sat there, stunned, and then kissed him back. Not one to lose an opportunity when he found one, he kissed Neal back like he would kiss Elizabeth after not seeing her for a long time. Neal just about melted onto him, mouth opening and sliding arms around his waist and it was just as good as he’d always imagined. Better, since Neal was kissing back with that trouble-making tongue of his agile and eager. When Peter came up for air, Neal hummed in contentment and just kind of curled up against him.

Bemused, Peter asked, “Comfortable?”

“Very,” Neal mumbled through a yawn. “I’ve been traveling for two days straight, give me a break, Peter.”

“Well. Isn’t this cozy.”

Peter looked over at his wife and grinned at her interested tone. “He started it.”

She chuckled and set the mug on the coffee table, kissing the top of his head before sitting on the chair arm and draping over him. “I’m sure. Neal, are you warm now?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “And not leaving again.”

While not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Peter asked cautiously, “So you’re…with us now?”

Neal nodded and yawned again. “We can celebrate properly later. Sleeping now.”

And, unbelievably, a soft snore echoed into the air directly thereafter.

Elizabeth chuckled and kissed Peter again, this time shifting forward to capture his mouth for a short, sweet kiss. When her eyes met his, she said, “Looks like we got out Christmas gift a little belated this year.”

Peter smiled back at her. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve such an incredible woman but, again, wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Looks like.”

And it looked like the New Year was starting off just right, too.