The Chase Begin

By Peppe1951

Summary: It's a game between Phillip Kramer and Peter Burke. Whoever captures Neal Caffrey keeps him as their CI. Warning: The story contains non-consent spanking of an adult; if you don't like, don't read. Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA; I only write about it. Spoilers: Judgement Day

Chapter 1

Peter walked from the Commutation Hearing calmer than one would have expected after hearing that his partner, CI, friend and 'son' had just cut his anklet and was gone. He had to admit to himself, if not to others, that he rather Neal be on the run, looking over his shoulder than becoming the virtual slave of Agent Kramer in DC, never to ever be free of his anklet until death claimed him. That wasn't the life he wanted for Neal; he wanted Neal here working with him until he had served his sentence or had been freed by the Commutation board. He would have loved to see that happen and for Neal to choose to stay working for the White Collar unit but his former mentor and friend, Agent Kramer took that away when he decided that Neal would be better with him in DC as his CI, never to be free.

His calm came to an abrupt end as he came face to face with Kramer who said accusingly, "You helped him escape, didn't you? I've been working so hard to save you from his influence and you've gone behind my back to make sure he escapes! You told him about my plans!"

"Burke! Is what Agent Kramer says true?" asked his superior Reese Hughes who had just walked up and heard Kramer's accusation.

"No, it isn't. If Neal found out Agent Kramer's plans it wasn't through me. You forget how resourceful Neal can be when he wants to know something. My guess is that he riffled through your papers when you were away from your work station and overheard our conversation about your plans for him. You should have taken me up on working in an office where anyone coming and going would have been monitored better."

"Plans for Caffrey? What are you talking about?" demanded Hughes as he tried to get a full understanding on the incident.

"You mean you don't know about Kramer's plans for Neal?" and at Hughes shake of the head, Peter added bitterly. "It didn't matter if Neal won his freedom today because if he had, as soon as he walked out, Kramer planned on arresting him for any charge he could come up with. He would have him sentenced and transferred to the DC office working under him as his CI and every time Neal served his sentence there would be another charge added so Neal would never be free of the anklet. He would always be helping Kramer solve cases…some life, uh?"

"Why would you do this Agent Kramer?"

"I'm trying to save Peter from Neal. What you don't know Agent Hughes, and I'm sorry Petey but you leave me no other choice, is that Peter has been covering up for Caffrey on several occasions. I see that it is his association with Caffrey that is heading him astray and it would be best for everyone if I take Caffrey away to be under my supervision where he can influence no one and Peter can return to the fine agent he was before Caffrey came into the picture," explained Kramer with a smug expression.

Hughes glanced at Peter before replying to Kramer's accusation, "For one thing Peter is the best agent I have; he hasn't declined in that expectation in the least since working with Caffrey and what makes you think that Peter didn't confide in me on these 'cover-ups' and that I didn't give him my permission to proceed. We are after all trying to close cases as best we can and with Caffrey we have been able to have a 94% ratio for closing cases. You don't want to save Peter from Caffrey's influence…you have another reason behind all of this and I want to know what that is!"

"I think he is jealous of that ratio sir; he thinks that with Neal working for him, but Neal would never work with him as he does with me, his ratio of solved cases would increase too," replied Peter before Kramer could defend himself.

It didn't take Hughes long to agree with Peter's assessment when Kramer didn't jump in to defend himself and he turned back to Peter and said, "Find Caffrey and bring him back to serve out his sentence and whatever is added to it for escaping. We can't afford to lose one of our best CI's," and with that he left Kramer and Peter glaring at each other.

"This isn't over Petey…you haven't caught Caffrey yet and until you do he's fair game," spat Kramer angrily.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean to catch him first and take him to DC!" replied Kramer confidently.

"That is one thing you won't ever do. Neal belongs here…he's got a home, friends and family all he will have in DC is that anklet and being enslaved by you. Can't you understand that he has changed…you are taking away someone I care very much for and through my influence he has changed," Peter tried to explain.

"All I see is him changing you to become another con artist and I must protect you from that fate," Kramer replied before abruptly turning away leaving Peter staring after him.

"Do you want to make a wager on that?" asked Peter angrily.

That stopped Kramer is his tracks and he turned around. "I mean to find Neal and bring him back and when I do you have to admit that you were the cause of his running…admit to it all," explained Peter.

"And if I win Neal comes back to DC with me as my CI," replied Kramer.

"Before I agree to those terms I want it in writing that you were the cause of his running…I want it all…how you hounded him in your quest to enslave him…agree?" Peter said as a counteroffer.

Kramer nodded, "And once that is taken care of the chase begins."

Peter nodded knowing that he had the best chance of locating Neal since he had done it so often in the past…he had to; there was too much counting of his finding Neal. He wouldn't leave his son in the hands of that smug agent for a life sentence and with that in mind he called Jones and Diana over and soon had the agreement on paper with his two agents as witnesses. He also secretly taped the conversation as back up.

With all of the excitement about the outcome of Neal's commutation hearing, El had decided to work at home. She was also planning a celebration party if Neal did win his freedom and a consolation party if he didn't. Either way just knowing that Neal was staying in New York City and still working with her husband was reason enough to celebrate…she was ready and she had the two cakes to prove it. With that in mind she was surprised when the doorbell rang. She glanced up at the clock and murmured to herself, "Surely they haven't reached a decision yet," but had learned long ago not to be surprised by anything when it dealt with Neal Caffrey.

Expecting to see the smiling face of Neal she was surprised to see the unexpected face of her visitor, Agent Phillip Kramer, Peter's old mentor and friend. "Phillip, it's so nice to see you again; won't you come in," she greeted him graciously.

As Kramer came in he returned her greeting with, "Elizabeth looking as beautiful as ever," and leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek.

El looked behind him expecting to see her husband and possibly Neal following behind and when she realized that he was alone asked, "Didn't Peter come with you?"

"No, I expect he is still at the hearing…there is still so much left that needs to be done," he replied with a smile hinting that Peter was handling whatever else needed to be done with the commutation of Caffrey. He purposely let El assume that Neal had been granted his freedom.

"It is going to be so nice now that Neal has his freedom," El said excitedly. "He can visit art galleries and go past his two mile radius…I can't even guess how that is going to feel to him…to finally be free. You know he told Peter that no matter what the board decides that he will be at work Monday morning the same as always."

"I see that you care for him as deeply as Petey does," commented Kramer.

"Oh, it didn't take long before he was a regular fixture here. Satch took to him at once…, dogs know, you know, and he knew that Neal was a good guy from the first time they met," El said excitedly.

"So I expect that Peter has told you about the cat and mouse game the two have played before Peter finally snapped the cuffs on him…about all of his aliases he used to shake Peter from his tail?" Kramer asked as he fished for information.

"Oh, yeah…as soon as Peter knew about one he would shut it down and then that silly boy would come up with another. He used Steve Tabernacle and Nick Holden as well as George…."El began to tell when she heard her husband shout…

"Don't tell him anything more honey…he's just fishing for information," he said as he entered the house.

"Peter! Where's Neal?" El asked as she saw her husband hurry to her side, and then ask as his last statement was understood, "fishing for information? Why would Phillip be doing that?"

Peter didn't answer right away as he accused his old mentor, "You have a lot of nerve coming to my house and pumping my wife for information about Neal after what you just did!"

"Peter...What's going on? Where's Neal?" shouted El fearfully.

Peter turned to El and held her gently, "El…Neal's gone. He cut his anklet and he has left."

Understanding seemed to slow down for El as she tried to take in what Peter was saying, "Gone! But the hearing…his commutation…I don't understand."

"El, Kramer was going to take Neal to DC as his CI no matter what way the hearing went," Peter tried to explain. "If the Commutation board had decided to free Neal it wouldn't have made any difference, Kramer was waiting with the Marshalls to arrest him for whatever reason he could come up with, no matter how serious or minor and then he would be back in the anklet serving his new sentence as Kramer's CI in DC. And the worse of it is that he would never be free of his anklet because as soon as one sentence was served Kramer would be there to charge him with another crime and the servitude would continue."

As understanding began to seep in, the tears fell from Elizabeth's eyes and she turned to Kramer to ask, "Why would you do that to him? He had changed from the con man who didn't care about his victims to one that did and he helped Peter solve crimes and it was Peter's influence that changed him."

"I'm trying to help you by taking him away…it's his influence that is changing your husband from the straight laced agent I taught to one that would bend over backwards to covering for Caffrey. Once Caffrey is under my control he can't hurt you…can't you see that I'm trying to help you?" explained Kramer.

"Yes, Neal has changed my husband but it is for the good and not the bad… He has made Peter even more caring than he was before; so what if he covered for Neal on occasions the end result was that dangerous criminals were taking off the streets… Thanks to Neal the conviction rate at the Bureau is 94% and that is an improvement…don't you see the good that Neal has done and all he wanted in return was to have friends, a home and a family and now you are trying to take that from him…take it from us!" El tried to explain but she could see that her words were not sinking in and she snapped at the smug expression on Kramer's face.

'YOU'RE TAKING A MAN WE LOVE AS A SON AWAY, YOU SELF RIGHTEOUS SON OF A BITCH!" she screamed as she began to sob in Peter's arms.

"Please leave, you are no longer welcomed in our house," Peter said as he held his anger in and watched as Kramer rose and stalked away.