Here it is! The FINAL chapter! Thanks everyone for the amazing reviews and for favouriting and whatnot, means a hell of a lot! Please review and tell me what you think!

Chapter 12

Peter was cautious as he entered the desolate parking lot of the warehouse Neal was reportedly inside. He wasn't sure if Neal was alone but knew that it was likely that Keller would be around here somewhere, most probably armed.

Diana and a team were further down the street waiting on Peter's word to go in and arrest Keller, and Neal if the need arose on the off chance they were working together and had set Peter up. Peter knew how much Neal despised Keller but knew he might be desperate to escape going back to jail and would try anything to stay out.

The front door of the warehouse was ajar as Peter approached and he withdrew his firearm, letting it lead the way as he cautiously entered the darkened building.

"Neal?" he hissed, keeping his voice low in the hope it would only be Neal who answered and not Keller.

When no response came he moved further into the warehouse, hoping to find the conman but weapon ready if it was Keller he found. Coming around a large stack of wooden crates, Peter spotted the back of a man's head with a mop of brown hair seated in a metal chair; instinct told Peter that it had to be Neal in the chair. From his position Peter couldn't discern if Neal was strapped down or there voluntarily but remained where he was, opting to call out to the conman instead.

Neal turned as far as he could at the sound of his name and tried to shout against the duct tape over his mouth, to warn Peter that it was a trap but the words were nothing more than muffled sounds and Peter approached completely unaware of what was waiting for him.

Kneeling down in front of his CI, Peter had to choke back the curse he wanted to shout at Keller. Now wasn't the time for profanities. One look at the explosive device strapped to Neal was enough for Peter to know such a thing was out of his league.

"How're you doing, Neal?" Peter asked casually as he carefully removed the duct tape from the conman's mouth.

"I'm good," Neal lied; it was the first lie he'd ever told the FBI agent a lie. Sure, he'd let Peter believe things that weren't completely true but never an outright lie.

Peter sensed the lie but just squeezed Neal's shoulder. "We'll get you out of here, buddy."

While Neal had effectively gotten himself into this mess, Peter knew it wasn't the time to ask why or what Neal was doing here. There would be plenty of time to talk about that later once they got out of this alive. That was the plan, anyway.

Peter was so distracted with the bomb, his weapon discarded at his side, that he hadn't noticed Neal fall silent. Usually the conman had an opinion on just about everything and when he looked up to ask what the matter was he noticed Keller from the corner of his eye standing only a few feet away, gun in hand and aimed at Neal's head. Turning to face him, Peter rose to his feet slowly and raised his hands as Keller changed his target.

"Agent Burke, so nice to see you," Keller spoke as if they were having a chance meeting on the street or in a park.

"What do you want, Keller?" Peter got straight to the point. He wasn't going to play games with Keller like he and Neal had been forced to do in the past.

"Well, for starters, you can kick over that gun of yours. We wouldn't want anyone getting accidentally shot, would we?"

Peter begrudgingly complied and used his foot to slide the gun across the ground but having it stop a few feet short. "What do you want?" Peter repeated his earlier question.

Keller considered Peter a moment before answering. "What every man wants, Agent Burke. Freedom; and you're my ticket to it."

"You're not getting out of here alive, Keller," Peter warned him but he wasn't so sure about those words any more, he hadn't counted on Neal being strapped to a bomb.

Keller brazenly looked around. "I don't see anyone else here but you, me and the thorn in both our sides."

Neal glared at Keller but remained silent; he had more pressing things to concern himself with than snide comments.

"I have the building surrounded," Peter played the only card he had that didn't involve rushing Keller and either getting himself or Neal shot.

Keller laughed. "Nice try, Agent Burke, but I know they're down the street listening in on our little conversation. You weren't as covert on your approach as you thought. But maybe we should remind them that if they try anything I'll blow the bomb Neal's minding for me."

Neal finally spoke up. "You wouldn't kill yourself, Keller," he snapped, angry about being setup, forced to defy Peter and then strapped to a bomb. "You love yourself too much."

Keller knew the words were true but didn't comment on them instead opting to answer Peter's original question once more. "I want the art and your word, Agent Burke, that I leave here and no one follows me."

"What art?" Peter asked, momentarily confused.

This amused Keller greatly and it showed in the huge smirk on his face. "Caffrey never told you?" he asked rhetorically. "I thought the two of you didn't keep secrets from one another."

Keeping his gun levelled on Peter, Keller moved backwards and stopped next to one of the wooden crates. Pushing the lid off he delved his hand in and removed the first painting he touched. The Degas painting titled "Entrance of the Masked Dancers" was magnificent with its portrayal of young dancers in colourful costumes a stark contrast to the stiff forms and evening dress he usually painted.

Peter turned a questioning look to Neal but didn't voice it and Neal didn't give an answer. It would have to wait.

"Do we have a deal, Agent Burke?" Keller asked, trying to expedite the matter.

Peter turned back to Neal knowing that neither of them would make it out alive if he made the deal or not. What he hadn't counted on was the conman subtly shaking his head.

"No deal," Peter said, his attention back on Keller.

Keller looked disappointed. "I was really hoping you would have said yes," he said as he levelled the gun on Peter's head.

"If you shoot me or Neal my team will swarm in here and put a bullet in you," Peter spoke quickly, hoping to buy time for whatever plan Neal had in mind. "They wouldn't even consider trying to arrest you."

"It's a chance I'm willing to make," Keller said as he set the art down.

Peter had to do a double take as he saw Neal with the bomb still strapped to his body jump up from the chair he'd been strapped into with cable ties, something Peter was sure were unpickable, and dive at Keller.

Keller was barely able to react before Neal crash tackled him to the ground, sending his gun skittering across the floor. Neal had never been in a fist fight before, always getting his way out of them before they started by using words, but he didn't hold back as he threw punches aimed at Keller's head and completely disregarded the live bomb still on him.

Peter dove for his gun and called for backup and a bomb unit while the two men rolled around on the floor throwing punches. Keller was getting the upper hand on Neal but Peter ended it by pressing his weapon against Keller's head.

"Go ahead," Peter said. "Hit him again."

Instead Keller raised his hands but Neal, wiping bloody lip on the back of his hand, gave Peter an incredulous look from the floor.

"'Hit him again'? Really?"

Peter shrugged, smiling slightly. "I couldn't say 'make my day', could I? Too much of a cliché."

The pair laughed but it was short lived as the FBI agents stormed in and Keller was placed in handcuffs. The unaired question was if Neal would also be leaving in handcuffs.

The answer had to wait until the bomb squad arrived to remove the device; until then Neal was handled with kid gloves and kept at a safe distance from everyone else. It was a miracle that it hadn't detonated while he fought with Keller but none of them were counting their blessings just yet, they still had to get it off.

The bomb squad arrived in their specialised, blast-resistant suits and against their advice Peter stood by and gave Neal support. It was the least he could do after saving both their lives with his little act of heroism.

As the bomb squad removed the device they discovered it was little more than some pipes and wires and an actual detonator attached to make it look good. It turned out that Keller did love himself and wouldn't blow himself up just because he didn't get his own way.

With Neal free from the suspected bomb, Peter dragged him aside instead of opting to put cuffs on him and take him back to New York before questioning him.

Peter decided to start with the easiest question. "How did you get out of the cable ties?" he was genuinely intrigued how the conman had managed to get out of them without cutting them.

Neal raised a finger before walking back to the chair he'd been strapped in and picking up something Peter couldn't see from behind it. He held the small, thin metal object between his fingers for Peter to see before explaining. "You slide it in on the roller-lock side and the metal blocks the little teeth to let it slide the other way, no need to cut them."

Peter just nodded. "Why did you run, Neal?"

Neal sighed and lowered himself onto the concrete; he wasn't at all surprised when Peter joined him. "Keller threatened to shoot us both if I didn't leave the country," Neal gave the short version.

"You didn't leave the country," Peter reminded him, hoping to get a further explanation from the conman.

"Keller wanted the art I'd…" Neal paused knowing he could incriminate himself.

Peter groaned. "Just tell me and I'll pretend I didn't hear it."

"Promise?" Neal sounded like a child but then he didn't want to go back to jail for art crimes.

"Yes, I promise, Neal, please just tell me." Peter was considering arresting him just for the aggravation and headache he was causing.

"Keller wanted the art I'd… acquired before you arrested me and, just personally, I didn't want him to have it so I tried to beat him to it and remove the most valuable pieces."

"You know you're not going to be able to keep the art, right?" Peter reminded him.

"I know," Neal sighed, not bothering to mask his disappointment.

A pause settled over the pair for a few minutes before Peter broke it with another question. "Why didn't you just come to me? I could have helped you."

Neal ran a hand through his messy hair. "I know I should have but… I didn't want to risk Keller possibly hurting you, Peter."

Peter liked the sentiment and squeezed Neal's shoulder to show him that it was appreciated.

"What happens now?" Neal asked nervously, knowing that if Peter was going to put him in handcuffs it would be soon.

Peter remained quiet for a few moments. "You know you're going to get more time for running, don't you?"

Neal nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know."

Peter scratched his chin. "But I suppose I could put in a good word for you considering you assisted in the capture of a murderer and risked your own life for a Federal agent and get your deal back."

Neal could barely contain his smile. "Really?"

Peter returned the smile and offered Neal his old anklet back. "Yeah, it would be pretty quiet around the office without you there."

"Thanks, Peter," Neal said quietly, taking the anklet and securing it around his left ankle.

The FBI agent just shrugged and got to feet before helping the conman to his own. There were days when Neal drove Peter absolutely insane but when it came down to it he trusted the younger man and didn't want to see him behind bars again. They were friends after all.

THE END