Was it Worth It?

Peppe1951

Summary: Neal learns the hard way why he should never steal from influential people. Warning: Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA; I only write about it.

This is a stand alone story…isn't part of any series and takes place mid way through the second season. This story is in honor of Colakirk who asked me to write it after telling her about this idea I had. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

Neal had only been at work with the White Collar unit since he helped in solving the Dutchman case and becoming a bonafide member of the unit. Since then he had helped the White Collar close up several cases that they were working on. His efforts often guaranteed that the criminal would be arrested and sent to prison.

During the time Neal became Peter Burke's CI the two have gotten closer than either had even thought possible and Peter looked upon Neal as a combination son or kid brother and Neal often found excuses to be with the older agent and his lovely wife, Elizabeth and before Neal even realized he had considered the couple to be surrogate parents; but Elizabeth wasn't the only one in his life that he considered to be a mother figure. He also had June, his landlady who treated Neal like a grandson and wasn't beyond disciplining when it was needed….or taking care of him when he needed it.

Neal was considering his life as a CI as not a bad thing with the exception of his tracking anklet. It would be fantastic if he could only function without that anklet which kept him within a two mile radius except when he was with Peter. But overall he was enjoying life and had planned on having a wonderful weekend when Peter dropped him off a couple of hours earlier that Friday afternoon. "You have earned the time off Neal…that was a hard case that was just closed a few hours ago," Peter had told Neal just before letting him off in front of June's house.

In his hurry to get home Peter hadn't noticed the vehicle that had been parked in the shade of the trees on June's property or the two men who approached his CI a few minutes later.

"Mr. Caffrey?" one of them called out.

Neal turned around and said, "yes, can I help you?" They didn't look mean or menacing to him; in fact they both had friendly, smiling faces.

"Mr. Neal Caffrey?" The other man said.

"Yes, I'm Neal Caffrey," Neal identified himself again, reaching for his ID if he needed to prove it to them.

The men nodded to themselves when the one with sandy hair added, "I'm sorry to bother you Mr. Caffrey but we were only given verbal description and not a photograph to identify you with and we wanted to be sure that we got the right man."

Neal nodded his understanding and waited for them to tell him what they wanted.

"Mr. Caffrey, my name is Richard and this is my associate William; we work for Mr. Stephen Marshall, are you familiar with him?" Richard asked as he introduced himself and his buddy.

"Of course, he owns several galleries all over New York City," replied Neal as he wondered to himself why a man like Marshall would want him.

"Mr. Caffrey to cut to the chase…Mr. Marshall would like to meet you…in fact he has something to give you that he knows will help you in the long run. He would like you to accompany us…now," requested Richard.

Neal thought it over and decided that he had nothing to lose if he accompanied these men; who knows maybe in meeting and gaining this man's friendship his career would be strengthen and so he followed them willingly to their car and drove off in their care.

When they finally arrived and parked in front of one of the largest townhouses in town Neal could only guess what it held and if it was anything like it was from where he could see it would be quite magnificent. He could hardly wait to get inside.

"Mr. Caffrey if you will join us we will take you to Mr. Marshall now," requested Richard.

Neal eagerly joined them and followed them inside and up a stairwell until they left him in a reading room adjacent to a personal library. "If you will wait here Mr. Marshall will be joining you soon…make yourself at home," Neal was told as they closed the door behind him and leaving him to look around the room.

Neal was intrigued with everything in and around the room. He looked over the paintings on the wall as he did with all of the pictures and displays. He even picked up a book or so to discover that they were all first editions to many rare and expensive books. He had just wandered over to a contraption that he had not a clue for what it was used, when the door behind him opened and a familiar individual entered followed closely by the two men who had brought him here.

"Yes, you are the young man who took my money and car as I was on my way out of the country over a year ago. The police informed me of the theft of my property after they also told me that my vehicle had been recovered when they apprehended you not three hours later," Stephen Marshall said as he addressed Neal. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Neal was speechless which for him wasn't an everyday event and could only shrug his shoulders before blurting out, "I didn't harm it any…it drove like a dream and you did get it back."

"Not even an apology, young man?" asked Marshall angrily.

"Sorry."

Marshall nodded and said quite conversationally, "You were wondering what I asked you to come here for?"

Neal nodded.

"Well, Mr. Caffrey; I'm of the old school where I believe a person like yourself should be punished for stealing…that day not only did you take my car but you also took my money. I gave you one hundred dollars which I didn't get back…I presume that you spent it?"

Neal nodded, "Yeah I got something to eat and bought something for my girl."

"Tell me something Mr. Caffrey…when you were a child and misbehaved did your father or mother ever take you to task for your behavior?" asked Marshall curiously.

"You mean did my parents every spank me when I did something wrong?" Neal asked in return and when Marshall nodded replied, "No they didn't believe in hitting a child. I was always grounded."

"That explains a lot. I believe that if you ever got your tail smacked then maybe you might not have turned out like you did. You would have known the consequences of your actions then maybe you would have thought better of doing it in the first place," explained Marshall.

"What does it matter what you think…the state punished me for my escape by adding four years to my sentence," replied Neal insolently.

"But you aren't in prison now, are you? You made a deal with the FBI about becoming their CI for the next four years under the supervision of the White Collar unit of the FBI and Peter Burke became your handler. So in my eyes you only got a slap on the wrist for the escape and for the theft of my vehicle and money," replied Marshall hotly.

"I also have to wear this," added Neal as he pointed to the tracking anklet when he raised his pant's leg, "and my radius is only two miles from my apartment. In fact, I'm surprised that it isn't beeping since we are way outside of my two mile radius."

"It pays to have friends in all realms. If your status is reviewed it will show you that you have spent the last hour or so in a park near your place of residence," Marshall said with a smile. "Which by the way shows you have taste; did you con the older lady for you to live there?"

"No…I just asked her if she would be willing to have a boarder since she had an empty suite…and I was even willing to pay for it and help out whenever she liked," Neal said as he tried to defend his actions.

"You mean have the FBI pay for it, don't you Mr. Caffrey?" asked Marshall to Neal's shrug. "It seems to me that you have an easy life as compared to what it should be if you were back in prison…in my book you haven't been punished sufficiently for the crime of stealing my vehicle and money or even for your escape attempt, but all that interests me is the theft of my possessions."

"Well, I do help them solve White Collar crimes," boasted Neal, "and besides the escape and everything that came because of it happened over a year ago…why wait until now to take me to task for it?" Neal asked curiously.

"I was out of the country since I last saw you. I was originally taking my wife on a month's vacation which soon blossomed into several business deals. I just returned to New York a few days ago and although I could have my men take care of you I choose to have a hand in your punishment after all it was me you stole from," explained Marshall.

"So what are you going to do…have me sent back to prison? I would think that Peter and the FBI would have a say in preventing that," replied Neal smugly.

"I think you are missing what I have been saying Mr. Caffrey and to answer your question…no I'm not going to have you sent back to prison. You will not learn the lesson I'm trying to teach you…that you must learn from your actions….that there are consequences to your actions and I'm prepared to get my money's worth out of your hide…and I mean that quite literally Mr. Caffrey," explained Marshall as he nodded to his men.