Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to Jeff Eastin, USA Network et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.


At What Price


Phil Kramer was not exactly unhappy when he returned to D.C. a year ago.

Well, he wasn't exactly HAPPY either since Caffrey had escaped successfully and he had to go empty-handed – and he had really, really wanted him for his unit, just to think of the things they could have done was galling. Additionally he was not going without a good amount of anger at Peter because his protégé stubbornly refused to see why it would have been better if Phil took Caffrey off his hands.

But Peter and Caffrey were still separated and so Phil was willing to take that as a win.

Until Petey – who never knew when to leave well enough alone – not only managed to find his former CI but bring him back with the original deal firmly reinstated.

There might or might not have been swearing and throwing of pens involved in hearing the news.

After the initial surge of anger abated (which took several days, possibly weeks), Phil found himself starting to worry again. Peter's stint in the New York evidence warehouse was ample proof how dangerous his relationship with Caffrey was for his career, not to speak of the inevitable heartache when he would have to arrest him eventually. And despite everything Phil still cared deeply for the well-being of his former probie.

You didn't give up on a son just because he made a mistake. Or someone you regarded as one. You fixed what was wrong whether he wanted it or not.

And so Phil started dropping hints whenever the timing seemed right. Pointed out successes. Remarked on cases solved and solved well. Speculated on potentials. He knew people. Important people. And he knew how bureau politics worked. Could tell it worked considering how Peter's name started coming up in conversations. Though he feared all lost when Petey got arrested for shooting Senator Pratt. Not that he believed the accusations for a second – there was no way the probie he trained would murder an unarmed man – but no matter how dirty Pratt had been according to the evidence that came to light, a conviction or even an indictment would have been damage Peter never recovered from … emotionally or career-wise. Thankfully, it never came to that. And when things settled down again what stayed on the radar was a dedicated agent who took down a corrupt senator. All that was needed now was giving the right people another gentle nudge – and Phil was more than happy to do that. Bruce would take care of the rest.

He might not have been successful in separating Caffrey from Peter but getting Peter promoted to D.C. would separate them just as effectively.

Phil took his victories were he could.