I loved the moment when Neal was explaining colors to Peter! It's very much something Neal would do, and yet I didn't think about it at all until I read it - so, again, thank u!

I really liked reading about the game of tag!

This is cool and fun to read- thank you for writing it!

Hi!
I just finished the fanfic and I just wanted to say that you really know how to bring tears to a person's eyes. It was wonderfully written, seeing Neal get to be mothered by Elizabeth, finding out how close Mozzie really is to him and finding a father in Peter was so heart-warming.
Thank you for giving the community such a lovely work.
I can't wait to read more by you!

This was really good. It was sweet and touching and young Neal was absolutely adorable. And heartbreaking. His loneliness for a dad was just heartbreaking. I loved the end, as Neal becomes his adult self while hugging Peter. Very clever, sets the stage for their relationship going forward, even if they each want to forget all that happened. Thanks for writing.

Wow! Lovely story! Enjoyed reading it!

Yay! Neal's back, and maybe Peter and El have gotten through his thick skull. One can only hope. Excellent job!

Aww, so cute! I love the Peter/Neal Father/Son stuff! Absolutely marvelous!

Aww, little Neal is soo cute! I love the interaction between him and Elizabeth. I can't wait for Peter's reaction.

I do have to admit that I normally don't read deaged!fics ;) But that said, I'm glad that I gave this a try, because one of my favorite things is the father-son like relationship between Neal and Peter. I also loved season 4 and how they dealt with Neal's daddy issues on the show, so the premise of this story was very intriguing to me.

It is very in character for Neal with his flight instinct to run away from his troubles instead of dealing with them. Only this is just another form of running - kind of running without running.

It probably won't come as a surprise to you that my favorite chapters were the ones after Peter returned. I love the scene in which El picks Peter up from prison:

- - - - - - El slid a glance in his direction as she pulled out into traffic. "He's five."
"Well, yeah. Sometimes he acts like a child. That doesn't give me much to go on." He chuckled. - - - - - -

Heeeeeeeeee! (But Peter's so right, Neal does act like a five-year-old a lot. And I love this childlike playful side of him.)

And the Neal & Peter interactions are my favorite thing about this fic. It's in the little details, like Peter making sure Neal is comfortable and cared for ("He adjusted the blanket around the boy and headed for the stairs." - Awwwww for Peter tucking little Neal in!). And of course the "big Neal & Peter scenes" like Neal falling into Peter's arms and his cute "I *did* missed you." - awww!

Of course Peter is uncomfortable at first, he's just not good with kids, but this is still *Neal*, and he has always known how to handle Neal. And the scene where they played tag, a game that they used to play "on a larger scale", was very cute, as was Peter telling Neal a "bedtime" story (or more like naptime story), before they both fall asleep together.
Neal falling asleep on Peter is one of my favorite things ever in fics. (Unfortunately there's no canon scene like that, but I'll take the 5x04 scene with Peter covering Neal with the blanket. Shows that Neal felt comfortable enough to fall asleep there, so that's close enough to him falling asleep on Peter. But luckily, we have fics and can imagine them falling asleep on each other ;)

And then there is of course the last chapter with the emotional climax of the story so to speak, Neal overhearing Peter - that just about broke my heart:

- - - - - - "Yeah." Peter leaned forward in his chair resting his elbows on his knees, all the fight out of him. "I'm not his father, El. I can't take that place."
Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by a soft sniffle. As one they both looked over and caught sight of Neal, a little truck in each hand, turn and flee from the kitchen doorway. - - - - - -

And when Peter goes to talk to Neal, that scene almost reverses itself:
- - - - - - "You're not my dad!" He spit out the words with all the venom he could muster.
Peter pulled his arm back, hurt flashing across his face. "I... I know, Neal. I, I just, I." He brain stuttered, trying to compose itself over the ache in his chest. "I don't have to be the man that made you to be the man that loves you."- - - - - -

Firstly, it's just like them to inadvertently hurt each other. First it's Neal getting hurt by overhearing something and taking it out of context, then Neal is the one lashing out because he's been hurt, and hurts Peter in return. Good thing that Peter doesn't just run away, too (at least not at first ;)
I love this last sentence before Peter leaves the room ("I don't have to be the man that made you to be the man that loves you.") because it's so true and Neal needs to hear that.

And Peter's reassuring words before Neal returned to his old self were so true:
- - - - - -"Oh, buddy. You've always been good enough. You, just you, you're always enough. Even if I don't like something that you're doing. Even when I'm mad or scared or hurt. Even then I am so damn proud of you."- - - - - -
Just like the ending: "Nothing you do is ever going to get rid of me." - that describes their relationship very well.

They don't take any picture?

It kinda passed my eyes and my ears from glimpse of episodes that this season is suck big time. Well for me at least, cause Peter turns against Neal (and I love Neal! And he has a good heart, and I bet he will take a bullet for Peter in a heart beat). So I appreciate this fic where both El and Peter still love Neal.

Nice.

This story is just adorable!

I love Neal kidfics. And so I thought, I'd be sad about Neal becoming big again at the end. Burt here it simply fit. He found a place where he's loved as the person he is, unconditional.
This was an amazing story. Thank you for writing!