White Collar Drabble Bang: Worst Case Scenario (#11)
See master post for all header info.
Length: 100 * 11
Prompts: 057 Sun, 113 Yawn, 199 Impostor, 045 Whisper, 047 Guess, 131 Play, 018 Check, 097 Explode, 080 Clean, 011 Family, 074 Cold
Chapter 11: Worser
(Prompt: # 057 Sun)
It seemed like a great day: the sun was shining brightly in an almost clear, blue sky. But, as Neal knew oh-so-well, looks could be deceiving. It had been a difficult night - he barely got any sleep - and it didn't look like his day was going to be any better.
He had his work cut out for him. First, he had to find out what was going on with Mozzie and the case against him. Then, how Peter intended to move forward on this case. After that, he'd have to come up with a plan to free Moz.
*****
(Prompt: # 113 Yawn)
Neal stifled as yawn as he entered the White Collar offices.
Clinton and Peter were standing by the door, but when Neal came in, Clinton nudged Peter, who stopped mid-sentence, and just ended with a "let me know if you find anything."
After Jones took his leave, Neal turned to Peter. "Hey."
Peter nodded. "Hey". He considered Neal. "You look tired."
"I didn't sleep well. Listen, about Mozzie..."
Peter held up a hand to stop him. "You really shouldn't be involved in this case, Neal. You're too close."
"I know, but I think I can get him to talk."
*****
(Prompt: # 199 Impostor)
Peter looked at Neal, unconvinced. "You didn't have much success with that yesterday."
"I know, but if you let me talk to him, without the Feds listening in, he might be more talkative."
"I don't know..."
"We want to catch the forger, right?"
Neal felt like an impostor. He wanted to help Peter, but when it came down to it - he didn't really care right now whether the FBI got their man (or woman). All he cared about was making sure Mozzie won't end up in jail. Whatever it took.
"Fine," Peter finally relented. "I'll see what I can do."
*****
(Prompt: # 045 Whisper)
Neal was looking for a file on the shelves when he overheard two agents having a whispered conversation around the corner.
"I can't believe Caffrey's not involved in this. He knew about those diamonds."
"That's what Peter said... that we're going to keep all avenues of investigation open."
"Yeah, but do you really think he's..." the two moved off, the words becoming indistinct. Neal strained to hear, but nothing. Finally he sneaked a glance around the shelves, only to discover that the two had moved back into the bullpen.
Minutes later, as if nothing happened, Neal returned to his desk.
*****
(Prompt: # 047 Guess)
Neal sat back at his desk, and flipped a file open. Pretending to work.
"Keep all avenues of investigation open." It sounded like something Peter would say. But what did it mean? Did Peter really suspect him of forging those diamonds?
That would explain why Peter was reluctant to let him meet Mozzie alone.
Neal glanced up, looking around the bullpen. He had thought he had gained these agents' trust, but all it took was Mozzie getting arrested and they quickly reverted to type. How many of the agents around him thought he was trying to pull one on them?
*****
(Prompt: # 131 Play)
Neal smiled at Jones when the latter entered the White Collar offices, but Jones barely spared him a glance. And the one he had to give wasn't a friendly one. Neal sighed to himself.
"Peter," Clinton knocked at his boss' door. "Got a minute?"
Peter automatically shot a glance in Neal's direction. His CI was working hard at looking as though he was working hard. "Yeah, what do you have?"
Clinton held up a file. "Caffrey's been playing us."
"Oh, yeah?" Peter answered as neutrally as he could. Had Jones managed to find a link between Neal and the diamonds?
*****
(Prompt: # 018 Check)
"Take a look at this." Clinton laid out several printouts on Peter's desk. "The lab hadn't managed to retrieve Mozzie's deleted data, but I checked with the providers, and they managed to pull out the list of calls."
"We arrested Moore around eight." Clinton pointed out the times on the page. "Caffrey got here about 9:15. Look here."
Peter frowned at the page. Starting at 9:37, Mozzie received several calls from a number Peter recognized. Neal's number. Peter's relief at realizing Jones hadn't found the smoking gun proving Neal was the forger, quickly changed into something else. Anger.
*****
(Prompt: # 097 Explode)
Searing, white-hot anger.
In retrospect, it shouldn't have been such a shocking revelation. Neal was Mozzie's friend, after all. But because they had caught Mozzie red-handed, it hadn't occurred to Peter that Neal had done anything to prevent it.
And yet, there it was. Neal had tried calling Mozzie repeatedly once he realized the FBI knew about the exchange.
Mozzie was Neal's friend, but he wasn't Neal's only friend. In his mind, Peter started reviewing their recent cases. Had Neal helped other criminals evade the FBI? They hadn't caught Alex. Or James. Was that due to Neal's efforts?
*****
(Prompt: # 080 Clean )
"NEAL!" Peter shouted across the bullpen, causing heads to turn. "Get up here!"
Peter didn't wait for Neal to get past the door. "You WARNED Mozzie! Don't even try to deny it."
Neal held up a hand to ward off the yelling. "Peter-"
"You warned a suspect of an upcoming FBI operation."
Okay, when Peter said it that way it sounded bad even to Neal.
He shot a quick glance at Jones, but realized he was all on his own. He took a deep breath. It was time to come clean. "Yes, I called Mozzie. But I had no choice."
*****
(Prompt: # 011 Family)
Peter glared at his CI. "No choice? Really?"
"Look, Moz is family, Peter. I couldn't-"
"Did you also help your father escape? He's family."
It was a low blow, and Peter knew it. He could see it on Neal's face.
"You're a convict on probation," Peter continued. A very tenuous probation. "You don't get to decide which operations you agree with and which you don't."
"You've got to believe me-"
Peter cut him off, "I don't have to believe anything." He turned to Jones. "Take Caffrey home."
Then, back to Neal: "You stay there until I decide what to do."
*****
(Prompt: # 074 Cold )
Peter watched as Neal and Jones disappeared inside the elevator.
His anger, hot and raw, was quickly dissipating. Instead he now felt as if a cold hand had gripped his heart.
He knew Neal had his own thing going many times. He had stolen the music box when he was trying to help Kate. He had stolen the sub treasure, and then led Kramer and him on a wild goose chase. But this... this was different.
Peter had to be able to trust Neal to be on their side, against the criminals. If he couldn't, what did their partnership mean?
Next Chapter
Length: 100 * 11
Prompts: 057 Sun, 113 Yawn, 199 Impostor, 045 Whisper, 047 Guess, 131 Play, 018 Check, 097 Explode, 080 Clean, 011 Family, 074 Cold
Chapter 11: Worser
(Prompt: # 057 Sun)
It seemed like a great day: the sun was shining brightly in an almost clear, blue sky. But, as Neal knew oh-so-well, looks could be deceiving. It had been a difficult night - he barely got any sleep - and it didn't look like his day was going to be any better.
He had his work cut out for him. First, he had to find out what was going on with Mozzie and the case against him. Then, how Peter intended to move forward on this case. After that, he'd have to come up with a plan to free Moz.
*****
(Prompt: # 113 Yawn)
Neal stifled as yawn as he entered the White Collar offices.
Clinton and Peter were standing by the door, but when Neal came in, Clinton nudged Peter, who stopped mid-sentence, and just ended with a "let me know if you find anything."
After Jones took his leave, Neal turned to Peter. "Hey."
Peter nodded. "Hey". He considered Neal. "You look tired."
"I didn't sleep well. Listen, about Mozzie..."
Peter held up a hand to stop him. "You really shouldn't be involved in this case, Neal. You're too close."
"I know, but I think I can get him to talk."
*****
(Prompt: # 199 Impostor)
Peter looked at Neal, unconvinced. "You didn't have much success with that yesterday."
"I know, but if you let me talk to him, without the Feds listening in, he might be more talkative."
"I don't know..."
"We want to catch the forger, right?"
Neal felt like an impostor. He wanted to help Peter, but when it came down to it - he didn't really care right now whether the FBI got their man (or woman). All he cared about was making sure Mozzie won't end up in jail. Whatever it took.
"Fine," Peter finally relented. "I'll see what I can do."
*****
(Prompt: # 045 Whisper)
Neal was looking for a file on the shelves when he overheard two agents having a whispered conversation around the corner.
"I can't believe Caffrey's not involved in this. He knew about those diamonds."
"That's what Peter said... that we're going to keep all avenues of investigation open."
"Yeah, but do you really think he's..." the two moved off, the words becoming indistinct. Neal strained to hear, but nothing. Finally he sneaked a glance around the shelves, only to discover that the two had moved back into the bullpen.
Minutes later, as if nothing happened, Neal returned to his desk.
*****
(Prompt: # 047 Guess)
Neal sat back at his desk, and flipped a file open. Pretending to work.
"Keep all avenues of investigation open." It sounded like something Peter would say. But what did it mean? Did Peter really suspect him of forging those diamonds?
That would explain why Peter was reluctant to let him meet Mozzie alone.
Neal glanced up, looking around the bullpen. He had thought he had gained these agents' trust, but all it took was Mozzie getting arrested and they quickly reverted to type. How many of the agents around him thought he was trying to pull one on them?
*****
(Prompt: # 131 Play)
Neal smiled at Jones when the latter entered the White Collar offices, but Jones barely spared him a glance. And the one he had to give wasn't a friendly one. Neal sighed to himself.
"Peter," Clinton knocked at his boss' door. "Got a minute?"
Peter automatically shot a glance in Neal's direction. His CI was working hard at looking as though he was working hard. "Yeah, what do you have?"
Clinton held up a file. "Caffrey's been playing us."
"Oh, yeah?" Peter answered as neutrally as he could. Had Jones managed to find a link between Neal and the diamonds?
*****
(Prompt: # 018 Check)
"Take a look at this." Clinton laid out several printouts on Peter's desk. "The lab hadn't managed to retrieve Mozzie's deleted data, but I checked with the providers, and they managed to pull out the list of calls."
"We arrested Moore around eight." Clinton pointed out the times on the page. "Caffrey got here about 9:15. Look here."
Peter frowned at the page. Starting at 9:37, Mozzie received several calls from a number Peter recognized. Neal's number. Peter's relief at realizing Jones hadn't found the smoking gun proving Neal was the forger, quickly changed into something else. Anger.
*****
(Prompt: # 097 Explode)
Searing, white-hot anger.
In retrospect, it shouldn't have been such a shocking revelation. Neal was Mozzie's friend, after all. But because they had caught Mozzie red-handed, it hadn't occurred to Peter that Neal had done anything to prevent it.
And yet, there it was. Neal had tried calling Mozzie repeatedly once he realized the FBI knew about the exchange.
Mozzie was Neal's friend, but he wasn't Neal's only friend. In his mind, Peter started reviewing their recent cases. Had Neal helped other criminals evade the FBI? They hadn't caught Alex. Or James. Was that due to Neal's efforts?
*****
(Prompt: # 080 Clean )
"NEAL!" Peter shouted across the bullpen, causing heads to turn. "Get up here!"
Peter didn't wait for Neal to get past the door. "You WARNED Mozzie! Don't even try to deny it."
Neal held up a hand to ward off the yelling. "Peter-"
"You warned a suspect of an upcoming FBI operation."
Okay, when Peter said it that way it sounded bad even to Neal.
He shot a quick glance at Jones, but realized he was all on his own. He took a deep breath. It was time to come clean. "Yes, I called Mozzie. But I had no choice."
*****
(Prompt: # 011 Family)
Peter glared at his CI. "No choice? Really?"
"Look, Moz is family, Peter. I couldn't-"
"Did you also help your father escape? He's family."
It was a low blow, and Peter knew it. He could see it on Neal's face.
"You're a convict on probation," Peter continued. A very tenuous probation. "You don't get to decide which operations you agree with and which you don't."
"You've got to believe me-"
Peter cut him off, "I don't have to believe anything." He turned to Jones. "Take Caffrey home."
Then, back to Neal: "You stay there until I decide what to do."
*****
(Prompt: # 074 Cold )
Peter watched as Neal and Jones disappeared inside the elevator.
His anger, hot and raw, was quickly dissipating. Instead he now felt as if a cold hand had gripped his heart.
He knew Neal had his own thing going many times. He had stolen the music box when he was trying to help Kate. He had stolen the sub treasure, and then led Kramer and him on a wild goose chase. But this... this was different.
Peter had to be able to trust Neal to be on their side, against the criminals. If he couldn't, what did their partnership mean?
Next Chapter