Teamwork, a White Collar fanfiction
Title: Teamwork
Rating: G
Characters: Neal, Peter, Elizabeth, Mozzie
Genre: Gen
Spoilers: None
Word Count: ~930
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Jeff Eastin and USA Network.
Summary: Neal and Peter have to make a decision before time runs out...
“You sure about this, Neal?” Peter asked for the third time in the last five minutes.
“Yes, Peter,” Neal replied. “Unless you got a better plan.”
Peter fell silent.
“That’s what I thought,” Neal said.
“May be there’s another way. We should keep searching.”
“No, there isn’t and you know it.”
Peter rubbed his forehead in frustration. “I really don't like this. My gut's telling me this is a bad idea.”
“You don’t have to like it." Neal decided to try a different angle of persuasion. “Look, the choice is mine. Even if it fails, the blame is all on me.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” looking slightly upset at his words, Peter said. “You and me, we’re a team. You may be the one to do it, but I’m not gonna let you take the fall if it doesn’t work.”
A hint of surprise was evident on Neal's face, but it was quickly replaced with a small, grateful smile. “...Thanks, Peter,” he said, and received a similar expression from his friend.
“It’s just...there’s no turning back once you start,” Peter reminded him. “One wrong move, everything will fall apart.”
“I’m aware of that. But it’s either this or nothing,” Neal said solemnly. “Sometimes you have to take a chance.”
Peter still didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“There’s no time, Peter," Neal urged, impatience beginning to creep over his voice. “They’ll be back very soon."
Peter turned his head to glance at the door, and then back at Neal, who was gazing at him straight in the eye.
“Have some faith in me, okay?” Neal said, his tone determined.
Peter sighed. “All right. But Neal?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
Neal nodded. “Always.”
Peter held his breath as he watched the other man made a daring move.
------
“...You did it,” Peter breathed.
“Yeah...” Neal said, after letting out a relieved chuckle. “I'm not gonna lie: that was pretty close.”
If Peter was going to say something more, he was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
“So, did you boys do it?” A woman’s voice came from the doorway. It was Elizabeth.
“Hon, it didn't fall!” Peter called back in excitement.
A moment later, El and Mozzie walked into the house with a tail-wagging Satchmo trailing behind. Eyeing the tall, shaky Jenga tower on the dining table, they sat down opposite Peter and Neal.
“Ahh, bold move, I commend you for that,” Mozzie remarked as he scrutinized the structure, which brought a triumphant beam to their faces. El giggled at the sight.
“You look like two kids who’ve just won a robot-building competition at school,” she quipped.
“Oh, this requires a lot more skills than robot-building,” Peter said.
“Your self-satisfaction is unjustifiable, Suit,” Mozzie cut in. “May I remind you it took fifteen minutes for you to remove a single block. That’s twenty times longer than average, you know.”
Peter’s grin turned sour.
“Only because Peter kept nagging at my choice,” Neal muttered in mock annoyance.
”Your turn,” ignoring the comment, Peter said to Mozzie pointedly, then to El, “don’t worry, Hon. I won’t tease you if you lose because of him.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” El said merrily. “Mozzie told me he was a four-time champion of the annual Jenga contest held at his orphanage.”
“Not only that, I'm still the youngest winner of the World Jenga Championships,” Mozzie said, his chin held high. “They called me the Jenga Whiz Kid.”
“He just made that up, didn't he,” Peter looked to Neal, who just shook his head in a “you don't really wanna know” way.
“You don't believe me? Watch this,” with that, Mozzie used his index finger to give a few gentle taps to a block on one of the middle levels, then used his thumb and middle finger to pull it out in one smooth, effortless action. “Ha! See?”
Peter gaped at the tower in disbelief. Neal, on the other hand, didn’t look surprised.
“Neal!” Peter hissed. “You said yours was the last piece that could be pulled out safely!”
“That was before I removed that piece,” Neal explained. “It's a whole different thing after I pulled it out and placed it on top.”
“Make your move now, sausage fingers,” Mozzie said to Peter, who threw him a quick glare.
“This is not good,” Neal pointed out.
“I got this,” Peter said with confidence, his hand reaching for a block near the bottom. “Just gonna take this one out-”
“No! No no no,” Neal stopped him. “Peter, you don't wanna to that.”
“What? Why?”
“That’s the last block you should be touching. It’s the weakest link of the whole structure.”
Peter narrowed his eyes at the tower. After a few seconds, he shook his head. “Nah, pretty sure I can get it out.”
“You can’t, trust me.”
“Sorry, Neal, this time I trust my gut more than you.”
“Your gut detector is overrated.”
“No more words,” Peter said, holding up a hand. “I make the call.”
“Hey, what happened to teamwork?" Neal protested. “A team’s supposed to make the decision together.”
“Yeah, we’re are a team, but I’m the leader.”
El and Mozzie watched them bicker for another minute or two before exchanging a knowing look with each other.
“...Okay, I'm gonna go make some tea,” El announced.
“Oh, let me help you, Mrs Suit.” Mozzie escaped into the kitchen with her, leaving the two still arguing men behind. “We should make something stronger than tea, though. At this rate, I don't think our turn will come before the sun goes down.”
THE END
Rating: G
Characters: Neal, Peter, Elizabeth, Mozzie
Genre: Gen
Spoilers: None
Word Count: ~930
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Jeff Eastin and USA Network.
Summary: Neal and Peter have to make a decision before time runs out...
“You sure about this, Neal?” Peter asked for the third time in the last five minutes.
“Yes, Peter,” Neal replied. “Unless you got a better plan.”
Peter fell silent.
“That’s what I thought,” Neal said.
“May be there’s another way. We should keep searching.”
“No, there isn’t and you know it.”
Peter rubbed his forehead in frustration. “I really don't like this. My gut's telling me this is a bad idea.”
“You don’t have to like it." Neal decided to try a different angle of persuasion. “Look, the choice is mine. Even if it fails, the blame is all on me.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” looking slightly upset at his words, Peter said. “You and me, we’re a team. You may be the one to do it, but I’m not gonna let you take the fall if it doesn’t work.”
A hint of surprise was evident on Neal's face, but it was quickly replaced with a small, grateful smile. “...Thanks, Peter,” he said, and received a similar expression from his friend.
“It’s just...there’s no turning back once you start,” Peter reminded him. “One wrong move, everything will fall apart.”
“I’m aware of that. But it’s either this or nothing,” Neal said solemnly. “Sometimes you have to take a chance.”
Peter still didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“There’s no time, Peter," Neal urged, impatience beginning to creep over his voice. “They’ll be back very soon."
Peter turned his head to glance at the door, and then back at Neal, who was gazing at him straight in the eye.
“Have some faith in me, okay?” Neal said, his tone determined.
Peter sighed. “All right. But Neal?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
Neal nodded. “Always.”
Peter held his breath as he watched the other man made a daring move.
------
“...You did it,” Peter breathed.
“Yeah...” Neal said, after letting out a relieved chuckle. “I'm not gonna lie: that was pretty close.”
If Peter was going to say something more, he was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
“So, did you boys do it?” A woman’s voice came from the doorway. It was Elizabeth.
“Hon, it didn't fall!” Peter called back in excitement.
A moment later, El and Mozzie walked into the house with a tail-wagging Satchmo trailing behind. Eyeing the tall, shaky Jenga tower on the dining table, they sat down opposite Peter and Neal.
“Ahh, bold move, I commend you for that,” Mozzie remarked as he scrutinized the structure, which brought a triumphant beam to their faces. El giggled at the sight.
“You look like two kids who’ve just won a robot-building competition at school,” she quipped.
“Oh, this requires a lot more skills than robot-building,” Peter said.
“Your self-satisfaction is unjustifiable, Suit,” Mozzie cut in. “May I remind you it took fifteen minutes for you to remove a single block. That’s twenty times longer than average, you know.”
Peter’s grin turned sour.
“Only because Peter kept nagging at my choice,” Neal muttered in mock annoyance.
”Your turn,” ignoring the comment, Peter said to Mozzie pointedly, then to El, “don’t worry, Hon. I won’t tease you if you lose because of him.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” El said merrily. “Mozzie told me he was a four-time champion of the annual Jenga contest held at his orphanage.”
“Not only that, I'm still the youngest winner of the World Jenga Championships,” Mozzie said, his chin held high. “They called me the Jenga Whiz Kid.”
“He just made that up, didn't he,” Peter looked to Neal, who just shook his head in a “you don't really wanna know” way.
“You don't believe me? Watch this,” with that, Mozzie used his index finger to give a few gentle taps to a block on one of the middle levels, then used his thumb and middle finger to pull it out in one smooth, effortless action. “Ha! See?”
Peter gaped at the tower in disbelief. Neal, on the other hand, didn’t look surprised.
“Neal!” Peter hissed. “You said yours was the last piece that could be pulled out safely!”
“That was before I removed that piece,” Neal explained. “It's a whole different thing after I pulled it out and placed it on top.”
“Make your move now, sausage fingers,” Mozzie said to Peter, who threw him a quick glare.
“This is not good,” Neal pointed out.
“I got this,” Peter said with confidence, his hand reaching for a block near the bottom. “Just gonna take this one out-”
“No! No no no,” Neal stopped him. “Peter, you don't wanna to that.”
“What? Why?”
“That’s the last block you should be touching. It’s the weakest link of the whole structure.”
Peter narrowed his eyes at the tower. After a few seconds, he shook his head. “Nah, pretty sure I can get it out.”
“You can’t, trust me.”
“Sorry, Neal, this time I trust my gut more than you.”
“Your gut detector is overrated.”
“No more words,” Peter said, holding up a hand. “I make the call.”
“Hey, what happened to teamwork?" Neal protested. “A team’s supposed to make the decision together.”
“Yeah, we’re are a team, but I’m the leader.”
El and Mozzie watched them bicker for another minute or two before exchanging a knowing look with each other.
“...Okay, I'm gonna go make some tea,” El announced.
“Oh, let me help you, Mrs Suit.” Mozzie escaped into the kitchen with her, leaving the two still arguing men behind. “We should make something stronger than tea, though. At this rate, I don't think our turn will come before the sun goes down.”
THE END