The Simple Joy of Sunlight
Title: The Simple Joy of Sunlight
Author: Huffydoo
Disclaimer: Nope don't own them, just rent them
Warnings: maybe lacking too much on the HC. Just wanted to do a Little Neal showcasing Neal and Elizabeth and her feelings.
Summary: A six month old and sunshine are the perfect remedy for a bridezilla
The Simple Joy of Sunlight
Elizabeth Burke was stressed out. She had more on her plate then she knew what to do with. She had three weddings in two weeks. One bride in particular gave a new meaning to the term 'Bridezilla'. It took everything in her to stay calm and professional. She would be glad to see this one done. She would perhaps never have taken the case except the mother was a good client and had promised to pay well. She and Peter needed the money. Their life had gone through so many upheavals lately. Reese Hughes had suddenly retired and Peter had been promoted to take Reese's job. It took Peter further out of the field but Elizabeth felt better for that. The house suddenly had the wrong floor plan and a new suburban development opened that they could afford in a gated community. It catered to young professional families with excellent ammenities including a good school and daycare, as well as a large park with three different playgrounds designed for the safety of different ages. The house was modern and all on one floor. They had three bedrooms now as opposed to two. That was critical with the new change. El smiled as she heard a noise and put away the scheduler and turned off the work on the computer. She left the office and closed it, locking the door.
She loved the warm feeling inside. This last change was very strange and drastic but also a miracle. Neither Peter or herself understood everything about it, but Mozzie had felt guilty over the Treasure and the high price Neal had paid. He said Neal was no longer made to live on the run. Deep down the MAN with giving him rules and responsibilities had ruined him. Neal, he informed them, had now developed a conscience which was a killer to a good con. He also couldn't adapt to life without El and Peter. Moz said Neal had been like a flower without sunshine and rain, withering down. It had become too painful to watch. Moz decided that no matter how much it personally killed him to say goodbye to his closest male friend, he knew though he had to save Neal by any means necessary. He had used his connections and got in touch with a 'free thinker of an alternative scientific bent'. Peter had stormed and classified the person as a mad scientist in line with Dr. Frankenstein. Moz had injected an unwitting Neal with a serum one night while he slept. When Neal awakened, he was only about 6 months, as close as Christie could determine without a larger battery of tests that would draw attention to the situation. Everyonde close to Neal and the family knew it was Neal, just severely altered. It seemed there was some of the adult there as at times he would just get a very solemn, annoyed look and stare at them and burble. It was obvious that he felt he was dispensing important information or displeasure, even if no one else understood.
She walked into the nursery. Neal was in his crib, not awake long. His hair was in disarray. He was lying on his back in just a diaper. One hand clutched a stuffed New York Yankee Hoodie dog by the ear. It was a gift from Peter and Neal seemed surgically attached to it. His other hand was playing in the sun ray. His eyes focused, almost mesmerized on the stream of light coming in through the window. Before becoming a mother, she would have been berating herself at the merest trace of dust. Now as she stood there, she was enchanted watching her friend, her little boy, enjoying the magic of it. He was giggling and squirming. He wasn't even aware at the moment that Elizabeth was even there. He was turning his hand slowly in the sun, watching how it wrapped around it and also left shadows.
She walked over to the crib. "Hey baby," she cooed. "Ready to get up?"
Neal turned to Elizabeth and gave a big smile. He rolled and lifted his arms to be picked up.
El picked him up and hugged him. She loved the feeling as Neal snuggled in.She reached in and grabbed Hoodi. It was easier to catch it before he realized the dog was gone. Moz had forgotten Hoodi in his car after sitting. No one at the Burke residence got any sleep that night until Moz turned up the next morning and Hoodi was retrieved. Neal was so happy, smiling and burbling. She and Peter did miss the first side of Neal they had come to love. They hoped that as the control of the verbal and motor skills progressed they may see more signs that that part of Neal was still in there as well. Neal as he was now was just fine too. It was hard, at least for her and Peter, to stay stressed when he would be so happy and excited just to see them enter the room. Unconditional love and excitement could not be measured. She sat for an hour, rocking and sharing Neal's enjoyment and excitement of the sunshine. It reminded her there really were simple joys, even just in sunlight.
Author: Huffydoo
Disclaimer: Nope don't own them, just rent them
Warnings: maybe lacking too much on the HC. Just wanted to do a Little Neal showcasing Neal and Elizabeth and her feelings.
Summary: A six month old and sunshine are the perfect remedy for a bridezilla
The Simple Joy of Sunlight
Elizabeth Burke was stressed out. She had more on her plate then she knew what to do with. She had three weddings in two weeks. One bride in particular gave a new meaning to the term 'Bridezilla'. It took everything in her to stay calm and professional. She would be glad to see this one done. She would perhaps never have taken the case except the mother was a good client and had promised to pay well. She and Peter needed the money. Their life had gone through so many upheavals lately. Reese Hughes had suddenly retired and Peter had been promoted to take Reese's job. It took Peter further out of the field but Elizabeth felt better for that. The house suddenly had the wrong floor plan and a new suburban development opened that they could afford in a gated community. It catered to young professional families with excellent ammenities including a good school and daycare, as well as a large park with three different playgrounds designed for the safety of different ages. The house was modern and all on one floor. They had three bedrooms now as opposed to two. That was critical with the new change. El smiled as she heard a noise and put away the scheduler and turned off the work on the computer. She left the office and closed it, locking the door.
She loved the warm feeling inside. This last change was very strange and drastic but also a miracle. Neither Peter or herself understood everything about it, but Mozzie had felt guilty over the Treasure and the high price Neal had paid. He said Neal was no longer made to live on the run. Deep down the MAN with giving him rules and responsibilities had ruined him. Neal, he informed them, had now developed a conscience which was a killer to a good con. He also couldn't adapt to life without El and Peter. Moz said Neal had been like a flower without sunshine and rain, withering down. It had become too painful to watch. Moz decided that no matter how much it personally killed him to say goodbye to his closest male friend, he knew though he had to save Neal by any means necessary. He had used his connections and got in touch with a 'free thinker of an alternative scientific bent'. Peter had stormed and classified the person as a mad scientist in line with Dr. Frankenstein. Moz had injected an unwitting Neal with a serum one night while he slept. When Neal awakened, he was only about 6 months, as close as Christie could determine without a larger battery of tests that would draw attention to the situation. Everyonde close to Neal and the family knew it was Neal, just severely altered. It seemed there was some of the adult there as at times he would just get a very solemn, annoyed look and stare at them and burble. It was obvious that he felt he was dispensing important information or displeasure, even if no one else understood.
She walked into the nursery. Neal was in his crib, not awake long. His hair was in disarray. He was lying on his back in just a diaper. One hand clutched a stuffed New York Yankee Hoodie dog by the ear. It was a gift from Peter and Neal seemed surgically attached to it. His other hand was playing in the sun ray. His eyes focused, almost mesmerized on the stream of light coming in through the window. Before becoming a mother, she would have been berating herself at the merest trace of dust. Now as she stood there, she was enchanted watching her friend, her little boy, enjoying the magic of it. He was giggling and squirming. He wasn't even aware at the moment that Elizabeth was even there. He was turning his hand slowly in the sun, watching how it wrapped around it and also left shadows.
She walked over to the crib. "Hey baby," she cooed. "Ready to get up?"
Neal turned to Elizabeth and gave a big smile. He rolled and lifted his arms to be picked up.
El picked him up and hugged him. She loved the feeling as Neal snuggled in.She reached in and grabbed Hoodi. It was easier to catch it before he realized the dog was gone. Moz had forgotten Hoodi in his car after sitting. No one at the Burke residence got any sleep that night until Moz turned up the next morning and Hoodi was retrieved. Neal was so happy, smiling and burbling. She and Peter did miss the first side of Neal they had come to love. They hoped that as the control of the verbal and motor skills progressed they may see more signs that that part of Neal was still in there as well. Neal as he was now was just fine too. It was hard, at least for her and Peter, to stay stressed when he would be so happy and excited just to see them enter the room. Unconditional love and excitement could not be measured. She sat for an hour, rocking and sharing Neal's enjoyment and excitement of the sunshine. It reminded her there really were simple joys, even just in sunlight.