So, I just saw this very apt post on Tumblr, which for historical purposes reads: [note to self] "You'll never fully cherish the people in your life if you keep hoping for those who have left to come back and haunt you."

Note: This occurs in an alternate timeline where little Neal is three or four, and Peter hasn't found out that Neal faked his death (or perhaps Neal didn't fake his death).

It was the night of little Neal's birthday, and Peter found himself sitting at the kitchen table, singing Happy Birthday and waiting for his son to blow out his birthday candles. They were having a party that weekend with all of Neal's friends, so Peter and Elizabeth were the only ones there to celebrate on the actual day.

Tears came to his eyes when he sang his son's name and he thought of the other Neal, who would have loved being a part of this night. He would have bought his namesake some expensive art supplies or a junior lockpick kit or something that would have Peter giving him exasperated looks over his child's head. Then again, if Neal were here, his son would probably be named after Peter's own father or Elizabeth's beloved grandfather, and not a conman that Peter had spent years chasing and more years trying to reform.

Little Neal hopped out of his chair and then climbed up on Peter's lap and asked for The Story. He loved this story; it was all about how he got his name, about the man that had helped his daddy catch the bad guys.

Peter wanted Little Neal to know that he'd had a great friend even if he wasn't quite ready to tell the whole story about that friend's past. He would share that story too, when his son was old enough to understand. As much as it hurt to talk about Neal Caffrey, Peter never wanted to forget him.