Had totally forgotten about this! It's the first time I post fics on Monday instead of Friday, or the weekend. Still, here we are! The second part of People Like Us. Hope you enjoy!


Part II.

They can't do nothing to you

They can't do nothing to me

This is the life that we choose

This is the life that we lead

So throw your fists in the air

Come out, come out, if you dare

Tonight we're gonna change forever

~ "People Like Us" Cover by Matt Bomer ~

The day that Neal's life changes starts like any other; then again, that was the case last time too. When Neal got out of bed that morning he was so sure he knew what awaited him not just that day, but the rest of his life. Getting up early, having breakfast with June, taking a quick shower, getting into one of his favorite suits, taking the bus to the FBI offices (or a cab if he's running late), stepping off the elevator on the 21st floor and spending the rest of the day working with the people who'd become like a second family to him.

Truly, Diana was like the older sister who would chastise him and stare at him and would never give him an inch, but could always be counted on to back him up when he needed her. Jones was the fun cousin, the man who had 'stern agent' down to pat, but for those that he cared about he was willing to go the extra mile and bend the rules until just a hair before they broke. And he didn't even try to hide it. The rest of the people in the White Collar Division were, if not family, at least friendly to him, and even some from the other floors: like Caroline in archives, to whom he'd always been kind and she returned the favor, helping him find files whenever he might need them. Or Mr. Jenkins, in the commissary, who always saved him the best two danishes, for him and Peter. The secretary pool, all who loved it when he flirted with them; they knew it wasn't serious, but liked it when he made them feel pretty, appreciated, desired. They knew everything that was going on in the office at any given time and would let him know.

And of course Peter… some thought he saw Peter as a father, but no, if anyone deserved that it was maybe Hughes. The man was stern, a hardass, yet he trusted Peter, enough to give Neal a chance, even before knowing him as anything other than a conman, a forger and alleged art-thief. Neal would never forget that Reese gave him a chance when no one cared, backed Peter and even Neal when necessary. Even when things were absolutely insane, when most would think the worst of him, would have probably just chucked him back into jail and forgotten about him entirely… Reese trusted Peter and at the very least gave Neal the benefit of the doubt.

And Peter… what can he say about Peter? Neal loves him, has loved him for a long time, even before he realized it. Back when he believed himself to be completely in love with Kate, when he'd been doing all kinds of things for her, to call her attention, Peter was always there, on the edge of his memory, of his perception… the only man smart enough to keep up with him. Who saw him as more than a criminal to catch and throw into jail, who was willing to toe the line for him, who was willing to trust Neal even when Neal at times wasn't sure he trusted himself! Neal doesn't know what would have become of him without Peter Burke… though one thing's for sure: he wouldn't be alive. Whether it have been the plane explosion, a bullet (from some trigger-happy LEO, a disgruntled mark, another criminal) or something else, there's no doubt he'd be long since dead. Peter saved his life, but more than that, he gave it meaning. And it wasn't even about the love, or not Just about that. Much as he might love him, and El, love alone probably wouldn't have been enough. It wasn't before, with Kate, and as terribly as it might have ended, as disenchanted by it all as he might have been in the end, he had loved Kate, truly and completely.

Neal has always known that he isn't a conman for the money, if he were he'd have never been caught, because someone that fixated on the money was always prepared, always had a cache of it somewhere; and more importantly, someone who was in it for the money didn't care. Not about the places, where they might be, if they might have to leave, not about the art, that they stole, replicated, sold, that might be lost in the midst of it all; and most importantly, they didn't care about people: those they might hurt in their schemes, those who might have cared about them…

"You can either be a con or a man, you can't be both."

Peter said that to him once, and Neal? He chose to be a man. It might have taken him longer than most, especially Peter, would have preferred, and Neal might have backslid more than once (like with the treasure… which he'd really rather Not think about unless he truly needed to). But in the end, he made the choice, and he didn't regret it. Because he cares, about the places, about the art, but most of all, he cares about the people. When they're rich bastards, or corporations, or people who don't deserve to have what they do, he has no compunction about 'liberating' whatever he might be after; but he'd never do it to hurt someone, not really.

For him it was always about the thrill. The thrill of getting into places unknown, of doing things others claimed couldn't be done, of playing a part… The money came and went, and it wasn't what mattered. The art was lovely, and yes, he took great delight in being able to just touch some things… but he never kept them, because what good was the art if it wasn't being admired?

Joining the FBI, working with Peter and his team, gave him a chance to get that same thrill, while at the same time helping people. He got to play a part (many parts), got to get into places and execute daring moves and heists others would say couldn't be done, and at the end of the day it was all legal (or, if not completely legal, he managed to justify it in the end). He had a purpose…

"I'm happy here. […] someone once told me, my life is a dream with an anklet attached. If I wake up tomorrow and that anklet is still on, I have a good job, a wonderful home, a partner and a best friend. A family. But to wake up and answer only to myself… that would mean everything."

He said that, during his parole hearing, and it was true enough. He knows that if at the end of the day the Board had said no… he'd have been sad certainly, especially knowing he, Peter and El would have to continue hiding their relationship, but they could have handled it. They loved each other enough. No, it was the possibility of being taken away, anywhere other than NY, anywhere but where the two of them were… even prison wouldn't have been as bad as that, as being torn away from them. That was what he couldn't stand, why he ran.

A part of him cannot help but regret it. Wonder if he should have stayed, should have fought. Was it cowardly of him? Leaving when he did, as he did, without even a goodbye? Probably. It almost feels like a betrayal, like he betrayed them, their love, but… but it was Peter who told him to go. Who looked straight into his eyes across that busy street and sent Neal away… If Neal hadn't gotten to know Kramer so well, enough to realize what it meant, him standing there, with the marshals at his back (the marshals, not the police, because it'd never been about prison, or about justice, it was always about taking Neal, using him…), Neal would have never run. He'd have never left Peter and El.

And now, three months later, he's alone, standing in paradise, and wishing he were elsewhere…

Cape Verde is a beautiful place. Truly. If Neal had ever thought to imagine what paradise might be like, it'd have probably looked something like it, and the little island that now belonged to him (well, to him and Mozzie, technically). But as great as the weather might be, the sun, the sand and the sea… it's just not enough, not for him, not without them, not…

"Neal!"

When he first hears them calling he thinks he's dreaming, or hallucinating, or perhaps even just remembering, his mind half-lost on the memory of the last time he got to talk with his lovers. On the phone, two weeks after leaving New York. He'd taken a boat to Morocco, bought a cheap phone and put in the SIM Card Mozzie had prepared for him. Then he waited for the call. It didn't take long (and later on Neal would do the math and wonder why El decided to call him at six thirty in the morning…)

In the end the time didn't matter. It still broke Neal's heart, to hear Elizabeth hiccup, trying to hold back her sobs, and Peter's hoarse voice. The worst was that they knew the calls couldn't happen often, as they ran the risk of someone realizing that the Burkes could find him. They didn't know where he was, it was something Peter insisted on, even though Neal trusts them, knows they'd never give him up, and El agreed that it was safer for them all.

He knows they miss him, just as much as he misses them, and he hates so much to be parted from them. His little island cannot be paradise when two thirds of his heart are missing.

"Neal!"

Neal's head snaps up sharply, just a fraction of a second before a body slams against him with enough force that they both end sprawled on the sand. He barely has a moment to see blue eyes glimmering with unshed tears before a mouth slants over his and his breath is stolen in a kiss that is all passion and near desperation.

The kiss only ends when the both of them are in dire need of oxygen, and as Neal manages to sit up he can see they aren't alone. Peter's there, Satchmo beside him, wagging his tail like crazy. Neal doesn't even think about, he rises to his feet swiftly, holding Elizabeth by the hips to help her stand and make sure she won't fall. Peter seems to be of the same mind as the older man reaches for him and a moment later they're kissing, slowly but no less intense than the kiss he just shared with Elizabeth.

Eventually they are forced to break that kiss too. Then they just stand there, the three of them, their hands on the other two, as if afraid that one or both of the others might disappear if they let go even just for an instant.

"Peter… El…" Neal breathes out, not knowing what else to say.

In normal circumstances Peter would tease him 'Neal Caffrey with nothing to say?' (and his wife would probably smack him for it, while Neal would have just rolled his eyes, probably right before going into a long speech about… something, anything) yet those are certainly anything but normal circumstances, and they all know it.

So Peter doesn't mock his lover for his speechlessness, truth is he has no idea what to say either, neither of them do, but that's okay, they're happy enough just basking in each other's presence.

Though it doesn't end in basking. It'd be impossible to tell who's responsible exactly, but from one moment to the next the trio go from being unable to take their hands off each other to pulling at one another's clothes, and then they are falling on those same clothes as they come together in the most intense and nearly explosive climax they've had since the very first night!

In the afterglow of their union they finally begin to relax, slowly but surely:

"I cannot believe we just had sex on a beach…" Peter groans. "Anyone could have seen us!"

"Not really," Neal comments, he's on his side, head held up with a hand, while with the other he traces patterns on El's naked skin. "This place is mine… well, I suppose it's mine and Mozzie's but you get my meaning."

"And with place you mean…" Peter trails off, not quite believing Neal means what he thinks he does. It's insane.

"I mean the island." Neal confirms.

"You own an island!" Peter half-shouts in shock.

Neal rolls his eyes, there goes Peter, blowing a gasket. Has he really missed that? He doesn't even need to think about it. Yes, he's missed that, missed everything about Peter, and El as well. Though she doesn't seem to mind the whole 'private island' much; in fact, if the mischievous glint in her eyes means anything, she likes it and is probably already making plans to take advantage of their little 'bolthole' soon. Neal will have to find a way to convince Mozzie to take off for a few days, maybe a week…

A part of him wonders where Mozzie is in that moment in fact, because there's no way anyone got onto their island without him knowing about it, he has to have approved Peter's and El's arrival… which probably answers that question. While his oldest friend has always had a hard time understanding Neal's attraction to 'the Suit' (not to El, Mozzie's half as gone on her as Neal and Peter both are… even if Mozz's love's entirely platonic). Still, he obviously has to have approved Peter's and El's (and Satchmo's) disembarking on the island, and since he obviously knows all three of them Neal wouldn't be surprised to learn that he's chosen to take off for a few days to give the triad some very precious and direly needed alone time. (Hours later Neal will, in fact, find a note from Mozzie pinned to the man's bedroom door, warning him to stay out of it and that he'll be away for a week and the three lovers better enjoy their little honeymoon).

"Yes Peter, Mozzie and I own this island." Neal states calmly. "It's not as big a deal as you're making it sound, it's rather small, nothing on it except for the house where we're living in which while rather big, is also quite old. The place apparently was a bolthole for some rich and very extravagant man some decades ago, we got it cheap, all things considered. Mostly because we're so out of the way of… everything, that no one was interested in the place long term."

Really, when he said they were 'out of the way' he meant it, also on the whole 'the house being the only thing there'. If it weren't for the solar panels and the whole system on the roof they wouldn't even have electricity, or hot water, at all! Thanks to some work Mozzie's done they have a working internet connection, but no cable or a TV for that matter. Such things haven't been a priority either, though that might change, it all depends on a few things.

"Why are you here?" He blurts out before he can think better about it.

The question makes El react, as she twists around to face him, and the wide-eyed expression on her face is what makes him realize how that sounded, how bad it sounded.

"I didn't mean it like that!" He hurries to say. "Of course I'm delighted you're here. You… I… I love you, you have no idea how much…"

"As much as we love you sweetie." El cuts him off, placing a quick kiss to his clavicle.

"The question came out wrong, it's just… I don't understand…" Neal hates admitting when he doesn't understand something, but at least he knows his lovers will never hold it against him.

"You." Peter says simply, shrugging his shoulder, an almost helpless expression on his face.

"I… Peter…" Neal's eyes are very wide, and so very, very blue…

"Oh baby, we love you, you know that, right?" El asks him gently.

"Of course!" He's never had cause for doubting that, not even at the worst times.

"Then why wouldn't we be here?" She asks then.

"Because you have a life! Back in New York!" Neal insists. "You have… you have jobs, and family and…"

"You're our family…" El trails off, not knowing what else to say, not knowing how to convince Neal that they know what they're doing.

And then Peter sits up, surprisingly un-selfconscious despite his nudity, his eyes fixed straight on Neal as he speaks up:

"Neal, El and I… we love you, as much as we love each other. Whatever other people might know, or think they know. There's no longer two people in this relationship, but three. It's been the three of us, since that first night we spent together. So what makes you think El and I could ever be happy without you? We might have been in New York but it wasn't home, not without you. So of course we came, because we love you and we'll go to the ends of the earth to be with you. Understood?"

Neal can find no words with which he can reply to that, but then again, he's always been one of those who believe actions speak louder than words, so he throws himself at Peter and kisses him, one of his hands reaching for Elizabeth at the same time, seeking to ensure she knows it's all about them both, about all three of them.

xXx

Eventually the trio manage to make their way to the house, where Elizabeth marvels at the place, while Peter stares wide eyed for several seconds before shaking his head, some things he'd rather not know, and much as Neal might claim that it isn't a big deal, it still is, a bit, at least to him. Doesn't mean he regrets choosing to leave New York, to leave everything to be there, with El and Neal. He… none of them will ever regret that.

They take a very long shower, in the extremely luxurious private bathroom connected to Neal's set of rooms. It is perhaps the very first time that Peter doesn't even think about the amount of wealth displayed. In the end, Peter's a man of creature comforts, his only interest in baths might have been in sharing them with his wife (and Neal… though the three of them would have never fit in the tub back at their place in Brooklyn), and showers with his wife could get very… intense. But he just was never able to justify to himself the expense of a bathroom like the one Neal has right there. So he finally decides to put aside his misgivings and just enjoy himself. His beloved seem to know the exact moment when he relaxes, and they take advantage of it as they take what's probably the longest shower ever.

It's in the aftermath of round three (or is it four?) as they lay on the bed (huge bed, though they still manage to end up practically on top of each other, bodies twisted together in such a way it's hard to tell where each of them ends and the others begin), that they finally get to talking. Peter explains to Neal what truly happened the day of his commutation hearing, what Kramer planned, and what he (Peter) did in return. Also tells him everything he and the team have been doing since. How they discovered that Kramer's old CI, the one he claimed had become almost a friend, who even coached his own son's little league until Kramer found out he was going back to his old ways and arrested him… except he hadn't been, not at all. The man had in fact been doing everything in his power to stay away from even the slightest temptation, to the point where he refused to keep working for the FBI after his term was over and he was free of his anklet. It was all Kramer. He made people suspicious, went as far as altering evidence to cast just enough doubt, the former CI never had a chance.

"But… why?" Neal doesn't understand.

"Who knows?" Peter shrugs.

Was it that his own son liked the man? Called him Uncle, trusted him, more than his dad? Had Kramer felt threatened? Or was it just that Kramer had gotten used to the kind of cases he could solve with someone toeing the line, someone who understood the shadows and could slip right into them without problem, and hated it when the man refused to keep doing it, to keep risking his life so Kramer could get a thrill and all the salutations for catching yet another criminal? It had never been like that for them, not at all. On the one hand because Peter was always one to put the focus on the team, never just on himself. And also… well, he wouldn't deny that he'd enjoyed some of those cases, but he'd have never put any sort of thrill over Neal's life! Over his safety, Their Safety, because Peter was always there, if one was, the other was never far behind, they have each other's backs, he and Neal… and that's just it. Because for Peter, it is He and Neal, not an FBI Agent and his CI. Kramer tried (how he tried!) to get him to change his perspective, to see Neal as a conman, as a criminal, and Peter might even admit that at times he almost could, he might have even claimed to do so and been half convincing, to anyone but himself.

In the end, Peter doesn't want to know why Kramer chose to do the things he did, it changes nothing. That's the part he hates the most, he especially hates having to explain it to Neal. How all his work, all their work (because they have -had- a good team, a wonderful team, and Diana and Jones not only had Peter's back, but Neal's as well) changed very little when it was all said and done. Justice was served regarding Kramer, and that was a good; but it changed nothing in regards to Neal. Officially he's still a convicted criminal who violated his parole.

"So I cannot go back." Neal concludes with an exhale.

"Not yet," Both men turn to look at El as she says that. "Well, there is such a thing as a Statute of Limitations, right?"

Peter's eyes widen as he realizes exactly what his wife (his brilliant, gorgeous, sexy wife!) is implying. Neal for his part just laughs in delight before kissing her exuberantly, prompting yet another round of lovemaking.

xXx

They don't spend the entirety of their 'honeymoon' (as Mozzie called it) in bed, or even just going around naked. While a part of each of them probably would have liked that, and as much as they love the sex, they do want to be able to focus on more than that. Because to the three of them what's going on, their being together, it's not an 'affair' it isn't temporary. It's a commitment, and very much permanent. So they sit down in the big solarium that Neal has considered turning into an art studio and begin talking about the future.

"We're not going back sweetheart," El states, when it's made clear that Neal's still having trouble with that part. "Not without you."

"But… but El…" Neal's eyes are so very wide, so many feelings that he cannot hide, he's not even trying to. "New York… your jobs… you have lives there!"

"We don't want them, not without you." She presses. "I talked to Yvonne, she was planning on leaving anyway. Her husband's been offered a better job on the West Coast. I made arrangements for all my best clients and Burke Premiere Events officially closed its doors. She didn't know that I was leaving, only that I'd other plans. We packed all the things that mattered to us, and Ronnie will drop by the house to ensure it doesn't fall into disrepair. At least until we decide what to do with it long term."

Neal says nothing, he just keeps staring at El, blinking rapidly, as if to keep the tears beginning to gather on the edges of his eyes from falling.

"Something you need to understand Neal, is that this, us being here, it's not a thoughtless action on our part." Peter states seriously. "We knew what we were doing. Sat down and talked it out before we set any of it in motion. The mortgage in the house is paid, so whether we leave it there until the day we might return; or if we decide never to return we can always call Ronnie and ask her to sell it in our name, we arranged the paperwork for that, just in case. I may have waited until after five on Friday to send in my resignation, but it was to be made effective immediately, and I left my badge, keys and firearm in a locked drawer in my office, the keys in an envelope I left for Diana that same evening, along with a letter explaining that El and I were leaving." He shrugs. "I doubt it was much of a surprise to her."

It was true, the way Diana had been looking at him, since Neal's 'disappearance' but especially in the last week; she'd known sooner or later something would have to give. They all did. And he also has no doubt that she realized he knew more about Neal's whereabouts than he revealed when interviewed by Hughes and later on Bancroft. Still, she wasn't just a good Agent, she was also a good friend, and willing to go into the gray area Neal seemed to love dragging them all into every so often. Peter would forever be thankful for her, her friendship, could only hope that his abrupt departure would not reflect negatively on her and Jones.

"Diana's always been a smart one." Neal says with a small shrug, not knowing what else to say.

"You're smart too, Neal." Peter assures him. "You don't need to doubt us, to doubt this." He makes a gesture for the three of them: "This, We, we are a permanent thing. You need to know, if there were a way we'd marry you, today! We're for good, El and I, we're not going anywhere, and neither are you. We're staying together from now on."

Neal doesn't even have to think about it, the moment Peter extends a hand towards him, he takes it, he also offers his other hand to El, who takes it without a thought, her other one already holding Peter's own. And then they're all connected, all three of them…

"Together." Neal echoes, a smile slowly beginning to appear on her face.

"Together." El agrees with a very bright smile.

xXx

The first part of their talk is enough to settle them all for the most part, to reassure all parties that everyone knows why they're where they are, that it's their choice, and one they made with their eyes wide open. But it's still not all they need to talk about. Their present is settled, it's their future that still needs negotiating.

When Peter and El first drew Neal in, agreed on being a triad, there was a lot they didn't really talk about. Everything was so new, so exciting (so terrifying…) and, much as they might hate to admit it, they weren't sure how long it might last. So some things they just didn't see a point in talking about. Things have changed now. And it's not just all of them being there, in that little island off the coast of Africa, together. It's the fact that Neal is convicted felon who violated his parole and thus cannot go back to the States unless he wants to end up being thrown back in jail (probably for much longer and without so much as the possibility of parole). It's that Peter and El left the country under assumed names and using fake papers, without so much as saying goodbye to anyone other than Elizabeth's sister. It's that as much of a lawman as Peter might be, and as proper as El herself might have been (for the most part), in the end some things are more important: like love, the love they have for each other, and that the both of them have for Neal… nothing will ever matter more.

So they talk about all the things they didn't before. Like how neither of them want children (El doesn't like kids much, Peter isn't comfortable around them and Neal is honestly terrified what he might do to them). Peter can accept that he's no longer an FBI Agent, that they might not be entirely living legally anymore, but he refuses to turn a blind eye to any serious criminal activities Neal may get involved in. El is also pretty insistent that whatever they might do, they all have to agree on it, no matter what. They're all together now…

Neal has a few plans already. He knows that, above everything, they'll need to find something to keep themselves busy, all of them. It's really simple, they're all very active individuals, used to being busy in something or other, while lazying about doing nothing but having fun and sex day in and day out may seem good for a few days, but eventually they'll want something else to do. And after two years Neal knows exactly what his lovers like…

It will also help when, on the last day of their 'honeymoon' he takes Peter and El into Praia, they happen to come upon the richest man of Cape Verde (if only because he and Mozzie haven't disclosed the amount of their own fortune): Henry Dobbs, and Peter recognizes him as fugitive Robert Macleash. A plan begins taking shape then…

And Neal is happy, his little island has finally, truly, become paradise…


So, what do you think?

I know in the series it's said that Neal and Mozzie own a mansion, not an actual island, but I liked the idea of their own private island more...

I really wanted there to be a part III, but could never find the inspiration to write it. It was going to be centered on Jones and Diana. From them finding out about Peter's resignation, the letter he left, and then learning that he and Elizabeth had seemingly vanished.

Also, I had this insane idea of the island as a sort of base of operations, Peter, El and Neal traveling around the world every so often, catching criminals, recovering stolen items, art, etc., and getting the rewards. Had even this idea of Cindy handling things in the US, claiming that she was representing her uncle: Frank Ellington and his team, or something along those lines (she'd get to keep a percentage of the rewards).

Finally, I imagined ten years later or something, Jones, Diana or both, learning that June Ellington just died, and coming across Peter and El in the funeral. Who'd say that they've been traveling around the world, and then introduce them to their lover: Frank Ellington. And of course Diana and Jones would know exactly who he was, but neither of them would say a thing. And life goes on.

That was the basic idea, like I said, I didn't have the inspiration to actually write it. And to be honest, much as I researched the whole 'mercenaries/bounty hunters/whatever-you-wanna-call-it' thing, I couldn't find enough to actually make something that seemed anything but unrealistic at best, ridiculous at worst. I also kept having trouble with the Statute of Limitations, because where most crimes are concerned, they should have been able to return in six years or so, but the circumstances in which they left (the violation of parole on Neal's case, Peter and El using fake identities, and the chance of the two of them being seen as 'accessories' for Neal's crimes... couldn't make up my mind what the numbers were supposed to be in the end). The two things were giving me a headache, so in the end I decided to do away with the chapter entirely. You may imagine them however you wish, or just believe that they never went back, whichever you prefer.

Have another White Collar fic I'm currently revising, and which will be posted in a week. See ya!