Peter Burke, Hughes, and Fowler were sitting in Hughes' office fighting. Peter had just been handed their next assignment and there wasn't anyway he was going to accept it. He was not accepting anything which separated him and Neal, or put Neal into too much danger.

"You don't have a choice Peter. You either take that assignment or you can get reassigned and Caffrey goes back to prison for real." Fowler smiled at Peter and laughed. "What is the big deal, so for a month Caffrey goes back to his real home, jail. He was going to end up back there anyway." Fowler loved the idea of Caffrey and Burke being separated for a month. He loved even better the idea of Caffrey being sent back to prison for this assignment.

Peter leaned across the table and glared at Fowler "You know the big deal. I have been doing everything I can to keep that kid out of prison and you think its funny sending him back. You are just trying to separate us and its not going to work. You are also mad because Neal has done great work for us." Peter looked at Hughes who was shaking his head and motioning for him to sit back down.

"Peter I'm sorry I have to agree with Fowler this time. We need a man who can get close to Demagio's right hand man on the inside. This is the first time Blaine has been caught and sent to prison. If we get close to Blaine and find out his trash about Demagio we can put them both away. It's dangerous, but Caffrey is the only one who has connections on the inside. He is still an ex-con and we can't forget that. He is not a normal agent. We will let you keep close tabs on Caffrey to make sure he is okay." Hughes looked in Peter's eyes and knew he was angry. "You will be assigned another temporary partner to make sure this all looks good and real." Hughes turned away from Peter because he couldn't handle Peter glaring at him anymore. "Later today you need to get Caffrey down to the FBI clinic and get his shots and medical records updated. They said the last time he was in prison he had to receive regular vitamin injections because Caffrey tends to not eat well in prison. The FBI wants to make sure they do take care of Caffrey, including his injections, since he is really not a prisoner this time." Hughes watched Fowler roll his eyes, but Hughes did want Caffrey taken care of correctly.

Peter rolled his eyes and turned his chair to look out the window at Neal sitting at his desk. He wasn't surprised at the vitamin injections. Neal was as skinny as a rail and only liked to mostly eat healthy. Sometimes Peter worried about him eating himself. Peter smiled watching Neal fool around just sitting at his desk. Neal had a spark about him. He was talking on the phone and doing 3 other things too. He was also playing with one of the female agents next to the desk. Peter turned his chair back to Hughes and Fowler who were both staring at him. "You do realize the danger involved. Neal will be sent to a maximum security prison with more than just escape artists. These people play for blood. Prisoners die in these places mysteriously and you are asking me to send Neal."

"We are not asking you, we are telling you. He leaves for prison tomorrow afternoon. We are going to make a front story that evidence was uncovered that he killed someone during one of his escapades." Fowler threw a file at Peter. "Read the file and make sure Neal reads it too. Out of respect for your partner I will let you fill him in on all the details." Fowler got up and left without even looking at them both.

Hughes groaned and felt the anger coming off of Peter. "I'm sorry Peter we have been trying to get both of these men for a long time. They are dangerous, men and have hurt a lot of people. They have committed more than just white collar crimes." Hughes breathed in deep. He knew Peter knew this did not belong just in the White Collar division. He also knew how fond Peter had become of Caffrey. He hated admitting it to himself, but Caffrey was a great agent. Even better than some of the agents on his regular team. Still, this was a case from higher up and he had to follow orders. "Remember you will have access to Caffrey whenever you need it. That at least should make you feel better."

Peter glared at Hughes. Both of these men him and Neal were going after had laundered a lot of money from high profile drug companies. For years the FBI had been trying to track them down to get close to them. Peter understood what made this case a white collar case, but both of these men were also notorious for rapes and murders along the way too. "Fine I will talk to Neal at lunch. L invited us home and I will break the news that he is going back to prison. Hughes Neal doesn't even like guns or violence and you are sending him into a place with more violence than he has ever known. He is going to get hurt or worse. Why are you doing this to him and me? He is the best partner I have ever had." Peter stood up and looked at Hughes who was looking at him.

"I am not doing this to either of you. Also Caffrey is one of the best agents I have ever had. He is not going to let himself get hurt. He is stronger and tougher than you even probably know. Again Burke he is an ex-con you are forgetting that. Also maybe you are getting too close. You both have jobs to do so do them. You will be assigned to the same case, except a different angle with your new partner."

Peter grabbed the file grunting at Hughes. "My temporary partner!" He walked out of the office and down the stairs trying not to let how angry he was come through as he walked to Neal's desk.

Immediately when Peter walked up to Neal's desk he knew something was wrong. Peter usually acted serious, but not this serious. "What's wrong, you look like you just lost your best friend." Neal laughed.

Peter didn't laugh and motioned for Neal to get up. "L invited us home for lunch and we have some major talking to do about our new case. We can't do it here." Peter watched as Neal got up and grabbed his coat trying to figure out why he was being so serious. Peter thought to himself as they went out the door that he hoped he wasn't going to lose his best friend.


When Peter and Neal walked through the door L new something was wrong. Normally they would walk through the door laughing or even arguing about something. Today they weren't laughing and even Neal wasn't speaking. She poured them both coffee and sat with them at the table trying to figure the both of them out. When Neal was quiet things were not good. After sitting for a few minutes both Peter and Neal filled her in. She didn't know what to say to either of them and was stunned. "Peter you can't let this happen. Neal can't go back to prison."

"I don't want to go back to prison either Peter, especially maximum security. Do you know what type of criminals are there?" Now Neal was a criminal and he was even proud of that fact at times, but he wasn't the type of criminal in a maximum security prison. He was high class, get away with lots of money criminal, not guns and rape criminal. "Peter did you try and stop this?" Neal knew that was a dumb question and looked at both L and Peter. Over the time he had known them both he had grown to love and respect them a lot. He couldn't believe Peter would put him in this situation. He knew in his heart Peter had tried to stop this mess.

"I tried, Fowler is behind this and I think he is trying to do everything he can to separate us. It is only going to be for a month and they said no matter what progress you have made they will pull you out at the end of the time period. I will make sure they pull you out." Peter saw the expression on both Neal and L's face. L was trying to be strong but Neal was pale. "Neal I will have access to you. I can see you every day, or talk to you on the phone if I need to." Peter had hoped it would make Neal feel better, but it didn't even really make him feel better. They are going to make sure you are taken care of even if you need injections because you don't eat right." Peter kept looking at Neal getting more pale. "Hey I even get a temporary new partner just for show. At least you don't have to have a new partner." Peter felt L grabbing his hand. She knew he was trying to make things better, but it wasn't working.

Neal didn't know what to think. His stomach just turned. Part of him wanted to call Mozz and get as much money together as possible so he could run. The other part wanted to stay and help Peter because he enjoyed their friendship. He knew Peter tried to stop it, but Fowler was evil. Maybe if he could get in he could see if Fowler had anything to do with these two men and their business as well. "Well Peter a new partner is better than being in prison for a month." Neal's stomach was turning and he felt like he was going to throw up. Unfortunately as strong as he was certain things got to him badly. "Excuse me I've got to use your restroom." Neal knew he got up more quickly than normal and worried Peter and L. He ran up the stairs to the hall restroom and closed the door behind him. He stood over the toilet trying not to let it happen, but then he just started throwing up. He hadn't even eaten that much that day, but he was sick. Throwing up made his stomach ache and thinking about going back to prison made his whole body ache. Tomorrow he would be back in a place that he swore he would never go back to. This time it wasn't even a safe prison, it was a dangerous prison with very dangerous people. Neal flushed the toilet and only had enough energy to sit on the floor. He put his head between his legs to stop the dizziness. He had to get it together. He had to be strong and tough, especially for Peter.

L and Peter were both standing outside the bathroom door listening to Neal get sick. Peter put his head against the door and didn't know what to do. "L he never gets sick. I already have a bad feeling about this."

L hugged Peter. "Go to him and help him get through this. He is your best friend and your partner." L knew how much Peter loved Neal. She loved him too. Since Neal had come into their life they were all happier. A spark had been put back into their lives. Peter would never admit it but Neal was his best friend.

Peter pushed the door open and saw Neal sitting with his head between his legs back against the tub. Peter stopped at the sink and wet a wash rag with cold water. Then he sat down next to Neal on the floor to asses the situation. "You okay, or are you really sick." Peter felt Neal's forehead. He didn't seem hot just pale and sweaty. Peter put the cold washrag on Neal's head and pulled Neal's hands up to hold it in place. The kids was really a mess.

Neal sat up and looked at Peter. "I'm fine when I get really stressed I throw up. Some people cry and scream, I throw up. Bad habit from when I was a kid." Neal laughed. He had been in so many situations with Peter, but this was the most stressed he had ever been yet.

"If that was the way I handled my stress I would have been throwing up all the way out of the window falling four flights out of the judges chamber." Peter still couldn't believe Neal had done that. Peter remembered his heart stopping watching Neal fall out of the window. Then thinking that he was going to kill Neal if he lived.

Neal laughed at Peter. "Nope that was actually fun and easy. The most I have fallen is…" Neal watched as Peter put his hand up and got up. Then he put his hand up and helped Neal up. Neal put the washrag in the sink and deep breathed. "I'm fine Peter. I have taken care of myself all these years with barely help from anyone. I can get through a month of anything."

"I know you can do this. You are even tougher than me in some situations, or do you just act tougher than me? Listen, L's got some lunch for us. Do you think you can get something down? Then we have to go and get you prepared for your adventure starting tomorrow." Peter walked out of the bathroom and saw Neal slowly following behind him. He knew Neal was still shaky so Peter was making sure he really followed him out of the bathroom. "Don't worry we will get through this and laugh about all this in a month. Maybe you will even get some vacation time, of course within your two mile radius, after this."

Peter and Neal went back downstairs to L. They both wanted to enjoy one last meal together before the horrible adventure started.