The Shaggy C.I. - Part 1
Title: The Shaggy C.I.
Crossover Fandom (if using): Based loosely off the Disney Movie: The Shaggy D.A.
Characters: Neal, Satchmo, Peter & Elizabeth w/ others as needed.
Pairings: Peter/Elizabeth, Neal, Satchmo
Rating: 16+ (Possible Season 1, 2, 3 Spoilers)
Word Count: 24K
Summary:Neal is dog sitting for the Burkes when an accident changes him. Lots of Whump for all. Mild cursing. Insinuation of possible assault, Supernatural themes.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to White Collar but I do like adding them to fan fics.
THANKS to Faradheia for her wonderful artwork. I am more than words can express happy with all of it!
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Neal was only more than happy to help watch Satchmo one weekend while Elizabeth and Peter took a Saturday to go out of town with friends. It gave the con more opportunities to possibly search Peter’s personal residence for some sign that he had a copy of the manifest or some notes about what the agent knew of the Nazi plunder. Maybe Mozzie could come help him look around, not to mention the fact his radius would be widened for the day as if he were on duty, but he was to behave himself as Peter reminded him more than once with a fatherly look and a chiding phrase or two about not doing anything illegal. Out of town with friends or not, Peter promised he would have time to check his movements despite Elizabeth glaring at her husband to stop antagonizing the young man. Neal smiled as if he had won a bet as El left the room, heading upstairs while Peter fumed slightly.
Despite Peter’s distrust, they stood chatting about this and that while Elizabeth was upstairs for some last minute primping. Peter was smartly dressed in a nice suit and tie holding a thermos of what smelled like coffee. Neal knew only a little bit about the Burkes’ plans for the day. Apparently a friend of Elizabeth’s from college was having a dinner party to celebrate a job promotion and they were invited to their condo upstate for the day. They wouldn’t be back till late, leaving Satchmo by himself. El had suggested they ask Neal to watch the dog when they couldn’t find anyone else available. Peter was against it at first. Neal knew he was remembering the last time he borrowed the dog. The agent was worried it would happen again and was not about to give the con a second chance if it did.
“I don’t want to find out you used Satchmo in any schemes. If I have to call Diana or Jones to come look in on you, I will, Neal. Don’t doubt it!”
Peter hissed at him, Neal holding up his fingers as if he were a Boy Scout, the agent rolling his eyes.
“Just give me one day where I don’t have to worry about anything. Can you do that?”
He winced as El’s voice came from the top of the stairs.
“I hope you’re being nice to Neal, honey. He’s watching Satchmo. I’m sure he could have had other things to do, but he volunteered his time.”
Her tone indicated she thought Neal might be up to something but was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as she smiled sweetly between the two men, fixing a shawl over her shoulders.
“I’ve left some sandwiches and food that you like in the fridge and notes about Satchmo’s feeding and walking schedule. Make yourself at home, Neal.”
Neal saw the look Peter gave him to behave behind El’s back before the agent gave a weak smile at her to hide his chiding look.
“If anything happens to delay us, we’ll give you a call. Thanks Neal.”
The con nodded, his most charming smile on his face but he could tell even while El acted more confident about leaving him alone with Satchmo, she was just as suspicious of his actions as they left. He waved as they took off down the road, Peter driving them away while still somehow maintaining eye contact with him. Once they were out of view he lowered his hand in relief and closed the door turning to find the Burkes’ yellow lab looking up at him curiously, head cocked to one side.
“You trust me, don’t you Satchmo?”
He crouched down to pet the dog, a snuffling sound coming from the lab which sounded less than enthusiastic. Neal sighed.
“Peter’s got you thinking I’m bad too? I’m not Satchmo.”
Neal stood back up, smoothing his khaki’s as he moved to the kitchen with the lab following curiously. He wanted to know what El had left him in the fridge as he saw the notes on the door and read them each in turn then opened it up. His blue eyes widened, mouth curving up into a grin.
“Thank you Elizabeth...”
He saw he still had a bit of time before Satch needed to go walking as he pulled a sandwich in a plastic baggie out of the fridge, poured himself some lemonade from the pitcher marked “Neal” and moved back into the living room to eat his meal. Satch watched him as the dog moved to his pillow and played with a sock toy. Neal thought about his plan to dig around the Burke home but for now he was content to eat the chicken salad El had left him and watch some TV before he took a walk around the block with Satchmo. He had the whole day practically to dig through the Burke home. Why rush things?
()()()
Peter worried about Neal the whole drive up to their destination, Elizabeth trying to calm him down. She had to stop him from calling up the marshalls and asking for a location report every few minutes, her manner chiding.
“Can’t you just trust him to do the right thing? I mean yes, he has been devious in the past but he volunteered.”
The agent nodded at her knowing that’s what made it all the more suspicious. Neal rarely volunteered for such things so something smelled fishy.
“He’s up to something, El. Still... he might just have a museum show he wants to go see. Would explain a few things.”
He was trying to justify his trust now. He did trust Neal within reason but it was like trusting Satchmo with an open bag of kibble. If they didn’t keep it sealed and in the pantry locked up, the lab would probably eat till he blew up or threw up. They’d learned from
experience.
“See... you do trust him. Now, remember to take the right fork off the interstate up ahead.”
Peter nodded, smiling some as she hugged his arm and kissed him. This would be fun. He had met her friend Sandra and her husband Jacob some years ago. She had been El’s roommate in college and they’d kept in touch ever since. It had been a while since any of them could get together, Elizabeth working full time on her business while Sandra had three kids and a business of her own doing personalized greeting cards, embroidery and other crafts. Jacob was a police officer and a sports fan like Peter so they’d hit it off immediately. Hopefully it would be the same after such a long absence.
“Did you want some more coffee?”
She pulled out the thermos they’d brought and he nodded, eyes on the road and his mind moving from worrying about Neal to the dinner they were headed for. This could be fun. He was out with his beautiful wife away from the city and nothing to worry about but enjoying himself. That’s all that mattered as they started to chit chat about this and that, the drive through up state New York a great change in scenery. It wasn’t long before they reached a nice suburb where their friends lived and Peter felt El hugging his arm. Suddenly all thoughts of Neal Caffrey flew out the window with his cares from the week.
()()()
Neal was bored after a bit, finishing up another sandwich before he stood, stretched, yawned and walked over to the door to grab Satchmo’s lead.
“Come on boy. Time for your walk.”
The dog stood up from his pillow and padded over obediently as Neal reached down to put on his leash. It was a nice breezy Spring day as they exited into a mixture of sunshine and cool wind. Peter may not trust him completely but Neal wanted him to. He thought about everything that he was keeping secret and felt a flush of shame on his face. There was pressure to do so much more than he wanted to do, his mind not made up yet. The con was deep in thought about his future and his choices as he let Satchmo take the lead in the walk. The dog knew the route and he was smart enough to stop at corners so Neal let his mind wander a bit as he thought about the treasure and everything else. Mozzie had put him in a very tight place. If only he could tell Peter but his first instinct was to hide things and run. Would the agent even believe him if he told him the truth?
He looked up as the lab stopped like clockwork at the first crosswalk and Neal smiled. The lab was pretty smart. If he were a person, he’d probably do pretty well with the vocabulary he understood. Neal reached down to pet him briefly as the walk signal came up and they started to cross. It was too late when he heard the squeal of tires and turned to see the car heading towards Satch and himself at a fast speed. Neal tried to shoo the dog away, unable to move out of the path quick enough, the black unmarked vehicle hitting him hard as he rolled over the hood, Satchmo flying with him as his hand holding the lead pulled the dog with him. Everything seemed to move in slow-motion as Neal felt his head hit the street with a sickening crunch, the car moving away with a screech of rubber on asphalt as everything went black.
()()()
He lay in darkness for what seemed days before he started to come to. His heart was beating, always a good sign, and his breath was loud in his ears but sounded strange to to him. He seemed to be panting as his ears were drawn to another sound growing more distinct as he started to wake up.
Is he going to be ok?
His face twitched, his body feeling odd, a numbness in his right arm he wasn’t sure about and other things that must be a result of his accident. His hearing seemed more sensitive as he recognized the speaker as Peter. He could sense the agent’s tone more so than usual, worry evident as he spoke. Another voice, less familiar piped in. A part of Neal felt fear from the voice and yet comfort which confused him a moment as they spoke.
He should be just fine. He fractured one leg but it’s minor enough it should heal with some rest. Just make sure he doesn’t do any running and keeps his weight off of it. He’ll be just fine.
He felt a hand brush at his forehead but something felt odd about it. The hand was too big. He felt his nose twitch in response. That didn’t seem right either. In fact his whole body felt strange besides the ache in his right arm which seemed to be encased in something. He fought to wake up and answer the voices just beyond the darkness.
Looks like he’s coming to. The anesthesia may take a bit to wear off so give him a moment to wake up.
Neal felt his eyes begin to open, slowly at first as two blurry forms stood above him. They seemed far too big to be people but maybe it was just a result of his head injury. He remembered hitting his head. Soon his vision focused on Peter but the colors seemed wrong. The agent looked a bit washed out for some reason as the con looked up and opened his mouth.
“Woof!”
Peter was smiling at him as was the man in the white coat he assumed was a doctor. Wait... he had barked? Neal didn’t understand what was going on as he tried to sit up, his right arm hurting him as he heard a snuffling sound he was only familiar with from Satchmo. He appeared to be on a large metal table on a blanket, something jingling softly around his neck that made him want to tear it off.
“Hey Satch... calm down. You’re ok. Shush, boy. That’s it.”
Neal didn’t understand why Peter was talking to him as if he were Satchmo till he saw the reflection in his eyes. A yellow snout and two brown eyes peered back as he blinked and started to panic yet again. Why was he seeing Satchmo?
No... this had to be some kind of odd dream! Neal blinked again, the sound of barking instead of his voice as he tried to speak.
Peter, it’s me! I’m not... why can’t I talk!?! Peter!
All he heard were barks and all they seemed to see was a dog that was panicking, the vet calling in an assistant to help as Neal tried to figure this all out. He reached for Peter with his right hand and saw a paw before him, yellow and furry reaching with a blue cast around it.
“It’s ok boy. Calm down.”
Peter was trying to calm Satchmo who was really Neal. He must be having a terrible nightmare if he was their dog. Peter and El were out of town so this was just a fantasy from the blow to his head. Maybe he was in a coma dreaming. Neal started to calm some or at least a part of him began to calm, mouth open and panting as Peter pet him on the head. That seemed to help but made the dream all the more surreal.
“Looks like he’s calming down, Mr. Burke. I have some pain pills for him that you can hide in his food. Just let him rest and take it easy on the walks. I know you said you have stairs.”
He watched Peter nod as the assistant reached towards him, Neal shrinking back a little. The young woman smiled at him, petting him on the head which actually felt kind of... good. He didn’t like it when Peter mussed his hair but this fantasy seemed to have him liking it. The young woman wore a white coat like the doctor, a plain blue tee and jeans underneath.
What are you doing?
He heard a curious whine instead of his voice. She was pretty, with long reddish brown hair that smelled of strawberries falling down her shoulders. The scent and her simple beauty distracted him as he suddenly realized she had lifted him into her arms, his body pressed against her chest. He could smell her hair and perfume more than he probably wanted to, his nose more sensitive than he realized as she held him gently. If he wasn’t supposed to be Satchmo, this wouldn’t be too bad a place to rest he thought, head leaning against her chest and the soft cotton of her t-shirt. She held him loosely, her heart beating normally as he heard it with his big ears. Nightmare or not, this could be fun. He felt Satchmo’s tongue lolling out happily, Peter reaching to pet him on the head. The vet grinned.
“Looks like he’s relaxing in Renee’s arms. Good. Let’s get him to your car and you’ll be home in no time, Satch.”
The doctor scratched him behind the ears, Neal thinking that actually felt pretty good. A soft sound of contentment he’d heard Satchmo make came from his throat surprising him as they walked out of the room and down a long hallway. Everything looked so much bigger from his new form, colors faded and muted but his sense of smell and hearing more acute. He could hear conversations behind closed doors clearer than he could with his human ears. Someone was eating a sandwich and a salad somewhere nearby. His nose twitched, a pang of hunger overcoming him. He heard a sound like a bird twittering behind one door and thought he smelled something that made him want to leap to the floor and run after it. He wondered what it was till he had the odd idea it might be a cat. Silly Satchmo!
“Bring him back in one week so I can check his injury. Call me if there are any complications.”
Neal continued to observed his surroundings through Satchmo when he realized that they had stopped before a familiar blue car. Peter opened up the door as Renee gently placed him in the front seat on the floor. Neal was still trying to take in everything he was dreaming about as he looked up at the vet’s assistant. She reached down to kiss him gently on the forehead before closing the door. He could just make her out through the passenger side window before she disappeared from view. His attention turned to the driver’s side where two figures now stood. He was amazed at how everything sounded so much louder and clearer as he watched Peter talking to the doctor or vet and heard every last breath and word despite the door being shut. Maybe this could work out, dream or not. It was definitely an interesting situation to play with. If he was Satchmo he’d have every opportunity to overhear what the agent said to El about work or on the phone and nobody would be the wiser. He smiled, noticing the quiet slam of the door as Peter slid into the car and looked over at him curiously.
“What are you so happy about Satch? You’re starting to smile like Neal. I think he’s a bad influence on you.”
He felt Satchmo smile wider at the comment, tongue lolling out as he watched the agent’s expression grow suddenly less than enthusiastic. Peter started up the car, a frown forming on his face.
“At least you’re ok. Neal took the brunt of the blow yesterday. You fractured a leg and got out easy...”
Peter didn’t finish, a sniffling sound coming from the agent as he wiped at his eyes a moment then put the car in gear. Neal didn’t understand what he was seeing. Was Peter crying? The man’s body language indicated he might be, face turning towards him as they reached a red light to show red rimmed eyes.
“Don’t tell anyone, Satchmo. I can’t help but worry about him.”
Neal saw genuine emotion there, something they rarely shared. Peter really cared for him or at least he was seeing it in this fantasy. That’s all it was but it made him feel better. He knew that Peter had a soft spot for him but they both had a problem showing how they felt considering their situation. Neal wanted to talk to his friend, tell him he was ok but the scene seemed to fade, his mind moving back into the darkness from the dream. It must be a dream, right? He no longer felt a sense of what it was to be Satchmo as another feeling hit him hard and he wanted to scream. His head seemed to pound with a rhythm all its own, body aching, breath shallow but a constant. He could hear his heart beating slow but steady, indicating he was alive. Still he could only feel the pain that hit him like a 2x4, everything hurting as a voice drew him closer to consciousness.
Do you think he’ll wake up soon, doctor?
Neal knew that voice, his mind pulling him closer to it as the pain increased and his need to cry out grew. He needed to wake up but his body refused as he listened to the voices talk in the darkness. Neal wanted to respond, let them know he was ok but his body didn’t react to his commands. His pulse rose some, heart beating a bit faster but that was it as the voices continued to speak somewhere beyond.
I can’t say for certain, Mrs. Burke. He’s had some blunt force trauma to the head. He has a fracture to the right side of his skull. We did what we could to fix the damage but until the swelling goes down we can’t say how your friend will or won’t be when he wakes up.
That would explain his dream. If he had hurt his head bad enough it explained the weird episode. He felt someone touching his hand, squeezing it gently as something warm and wet hit it. He thought someone might be crying but it was more a sniffling than anything.
Thank you doctor, for everything. I just wish... my husband should be here soon. Neal was watching our dog for us when this happened. They were both in the accident. Peter went to pick our dog from the vet. I’ll let him know what you told me. Thank you for everything.
He thought he heard her sniffle again, more wet warmth dripping onto his hand before he heard the two whisper in low tones and then footsteps receding. El continued to hold his hand in hers, Neal wishing he could open his eyes and tell her not to worry. He hated to make them worry, especially Elizabeth. She was one of his greatest cheerleaders despite his wayward manner. Peter listened to her when he wouldn’t listen to Neal.
I’m ok, El. Don’t worry about me. Please...
He was begging her in his mind not to worry but he heard her sniffles increase, more tears hitting his hand. Neal didn’t want her to be sad because of him but what could he do in his current state? He cursed his helplessness as the darkness started to overtake him again, her voice fading away until he passed back into unconsciousness. This time there was no Satchmo and for a while he just lay in the gloom waiting to see where he’d end up next.
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 /
Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9