Getting Neal into Trouble

Peppe1951

Summary: Someone is out to keep Neal in trouble with his FBI handlers.

Warning: Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA.

Chapter 1

It was a Thursday in the month of April and FBI Agent Jack Thompson was mad; once again he had tried to catch Agent Kimberly Anderson's attention only for her to ignore his attempt in favored of trying to catch the eye of FBI Consultant Neal Caffrey.

"Look at him…free, even if it is only on a temporary basis for the four years that he has left to serve; he's still free and not in prison like he should be for the crimes he had committed. It's just isn't fair," groused Thompson as he watched Caffrey easily interact with the female agents.

It was about that time that OPR Agent Fowler appeared and heard what Agent Thompson had said and couldn't walk on without replying, "You aren't by yourself with your felling friend. There are several of us that feel that Caffrey should experience a taste of real punishment for what he has done and that doesn't include the 'slap-on-the-wrist' form he is experiencing now."

"What are you suggesting, sir?" asked Thompson eagerly.

"At the moment nothing but I have hopes that something will come up and when it does I will get in touch with you Agent Thompson," promised Fowler as he continued on his way.

"Peter!" Hughes said as he appeared in Peter's doorway.

"Yes?"

"Where is Caffrey?"

"I've got him pulling case files for some cold cases," replied Peter, "why?"

"If he doesn't stop with those pranks of his I'm going to take an active hand in curbing them; and I'm not going to use the same method you use," Hughes stated seriously, implying that Neal would be feeling something other than a paddle to his backside.

"He's just bored…I'll try to keep him occupied so he won't have a chance to get into more trouble," assured Peter.

"You had better because it will only take one more prank to put his ass on the hot seat, if you take my meaning," Hughes promised grimly.

"I'll warn him," replied Peter as he watched his boss leave and his partner return. He noticed the look Hughes gave Neal as they passed on the way.

"What was that about?" mentioned Neal as he felt the glare Hughes had given him.

"He's tired of your pranks and has given you an ultimatum …if he even hears of another prank he's coming after you and at this point he doesn't care if you are guilty of it or not," warned Peter seriously.

"So if any of my early victims decide on getting me back I will be the one punished and not them?" asked Neal shocked.

"Yep, and I think that you can expect his 'fatherly' approach to be more serious then my way of doing things," warned Peter. "You had better hope that Lauren, Jones or any of your earlier victims have a forgiving heart and decides not to retaliate or it's your butt that will pay the price."

"Peter! You don't think that Hughes has a…?"

"No!" Peter interrupted his friend's frantic question," I think that he has a more old fashioned approach to curbing your unauthorized activities," hinted Peter as he let his fingers stray to his belt buckle.

Neal got the hint and reached for Peter's phone as he asked anxiously, "Can I borrow your phone?" all the while as he searched through his wallet looking for his Gold Credit Card.

"What for?" asked Peter suspiciously.

"So I can smooth things over between Lauren and me for that salt in the coffee prank I played on her this morning," confessed Neal.

"Go ahead," Peter said as he gave his permission and sat back to watch this frantic Neal. He watched and listened as Neal called the nearest florist and ordered a flower arrangement to be delivered ASAP for one Agent Lauren Cruz and listened as he told them verbatim how he wanted the card to read.

"Do you really think Lauren is going to accept your apology and not retaliate?" he asked amused.

"I can only hope…now what type of sports does Jones like?" Neal asked as he grilled his partner.

"Well, I know that he is a big New York Giant and Yankee fan, so you should be safe with getting him anything to do with those teams," Peter advised.

Neal picked up a piece of printer's paper and wrote quickly on it before turning to Peter and asking, "How does this sound? Agent Jones I wish to make amends for the prank I played on you yesterday and as soon as the tickets become available I will purchase two of fifty yard tickets for the first home game of the New York Giants?"

"Sounds great and I'm sure he will love them but are you going to explain why all of the sudden you feel the urge to apologize in such a manner?"

"No…should I?" Neal asked but noticing that Peter wasn't listening to him at the moment turned to see what had caught his eye…he was starring at Agent Hughes as he took a sip from his coffee…and like Peter noticed the expression just now coming to the older agent's face.

"Neal…you didn't have something to do with that, did you?" asked Peter suddenly.

"Oh, no…I forgot," cried Neal as he bolted from his chair and ran to the lounge just as Hughes roared,

"CAFFREY!" as he followed behind him, slamming the door behind then.

"You've done it this time Neal," Peter said quietly as he began to

wait for his partner's return.

While Neal was trying to explain his actions Fowler was reviewing the conversations from the bug he had hidden in Burke's office by one of his flunkies. He had hidden the bug in one of the may files lying about Burke's office.

Now while Fowler didn't have a clue to how Peter kept Neal in line he did understand that the pranks Neal had been doing had finally sent Hughes on the warpath; so he felt that anything he could do to land Neal in more trouble would only help him in the long run and may just get Caffrey to hand over the music box. "This is going to be payback for your interference in getting my pocket judge canned and preventing me from getting Burke fired," and with that in mind he picked up his phone to call Agent Thompson.