Chapter 2

"CAFFREY! MY OFFICE NOW!" Roared Hughes as Neal entered the next morning.

Neal gave Jones and Diana a "what did I do" look and the shrugged their shoulders.

"You wanted me, sir?" Neal asked as he entered. He noticed that Agent Fuchs was there as well.

"Yes, Agent Fuchs found this while examining the break-in at the MET…it has your fingerprints all over it," Hughes accused as he held the object up.

"My pen…I've been looking…wait did you say it was at the MET?" Neal exclaimed as he interrupted himself.

"I did and your anklet puts you at June's for the night of the theft but it does place you at the MET the day after the break-in. What were you doing there then Caffrey?" ordered Hughes.

"I decided to have a look over…that's all," confessed Neal. "Peter got me an extra few blocks added to my radius for helping to close the Simpson case a few weeks ago…you remember sir?"

"I do, so instead of working on the cold cases Peter and I assigned you decided to investigate the MET case. You must have dropped the pen there," determined Hughes as Neal looked at the floor and nodded, "but I didn't drop the pen, sir."

"Go wait for me in interrogation room three," ordered Hughes as he waved Neal away.

As he as leaving Neal heard Hughes tell Fuchs that if he caught him at his crime scene to report him to him and he would take care of him personally. That didn't bode very well for his backside. Neal was waiting for Hughes as he entered a few minutes later carrying his leather strap.

"Well that didn't take long," Hughes remarked as he motioned for Neal to get up.

"I didn't drop my pen sir," insisted Neal, "it had to be planted there so I would be blamed."

"Stop lying Caffrey," ordered Hughes, "why would anyone steal your pen and plant it at a crime scene? Now bend over the table and hold on…this is going to sting," Hughes said sternly.

Neal reluctantly did as he was told; knowing that if he didn't the outcome would be worse. He was barely in place when the first lick found its mark…in the center of his buttocks causing him to yelp with pain. Hughes wanted to make an example and keep Caffrey from continuing so he gave him eleven more effectively reducing Neal to sobs after the first six.

"I had better not have to do this again Caffrey or the next time the licks will be doubled…now get back to work," Hughes ordered and left Neal to get his emotions back under control before returning to his desk and a long day of sitting on a sore backside.

After washing his face Neal gingerly walked back to his desk and worked on the cold case he was assigned squirming as he tried to find a comfortable position. He as only too glad to go to the nearby deli to pick up lunch for his team just as long as he didn't have to sit any longer.

While Neal was out Jenkins used the time to plant another one of Neal's belongings at the MET as he and Fuchs went back to interrogate the staff and like before it was discovered this time near the exit that they believed the thieves got in to begin with.

Neal was surprised the next morning to have Hughes waiting for him as soon as he got off the elevator and said at once, "Whatever happened I didn't do it!" but it didn't deter Hughes who grabbed him by the upper arm and escorted him to interrogation room three again. "Bend over the table!" he roared as Neal shook his head, and began to plea,

"But I didn't do anything…I spent the whole night at home. June was there and checked on me several times during the night."

"Did she also spend time with you during lunch yesterday…because that is when this was dropped," Hughes shouted as he held up a tie clip that Neal recognized as his.

"I don't know how it got there sir, but I didn't do it. I wouldn't be so careless to leave another item after being punished for a similar offense the day before," insisted Neal but he could tell that his arguments were not making an impression of Hughes.

"I guess you were; maybe as you bent down to check the exit for signs…now bend over…or I can get someone to help you if you insist on delaying this further," threatened Hughes.

After staring at Hughes a moment longer Neal did as he was told and soon presented his backside to Hughes for more punishment. And as he had promised the day before Hughes doubled the licks Neal had gotten the day reducing Neal to sobs by the time Hughes had finished.

"I'm warning you Caffrey the next time I find out that you have been snooping around at Fuchs crime scene again and you won't be sitting comfortable for weeks. You just keep that in mind before you do something stupid again!" he shouted before leaving Neal to nurse his hurts and get back to work.

Unbeknown to Hughes or Neal Jenkins had been listening at the door and when he heard the latest threat left to find set Neal up again.

When Neal returned to his desk he could barely sit and was in agony for the remainder of the day. The squirming in his chair didn't go unnoticed by anyone at work. He got sympathy glances from Diana and Jones but he was unmercifully teased by Fuchs.

"Oh, look," cried Fuchs as his eye caught Neal's and his present condition.

"Caffrey got his tail strapped by Hughes again…you aren't as smart as you think to be so careless twice in the row, are you boy?"

Neal only glared at him refusing to be drawn out in a shouting match that would most likely get him strapped again….he noticed Hughes on the second floor watching but refusing to call the teasing off…it was like he was waiting so he could add in the heat in his bottom.

Neal was so focused on not doing anything to incur Hughes wrath again that he didn't notice that Fuchs had drawn closer until he felt himself pulled from his chair or pushed over a nearby desk exposing his backside for further abuse.

"Crack…crack…crack…crack!" Fuchs had struck him with the ruler from his own desk…his backside was on fire. "That's for screwing around with my case," the agent said in glee.

Neal glared at him embarrassed at being so reprimanded in public and shot a look at Hughes but found that the senior agent had conveniently disappeared. He wiped the tears as they rolled down his face before bolting from the floor and eventually to the safety and quiet of the roof where he collected his thoughts and quieted his emotions. "Peter, I miss you," he said out loud, missing his handler greatly.

Peter wouldn't have punished him in anger like Hughes had and only after he was sure that Neal was guilty…Hughes had only learned about the tie clip belonging to Neal before punishing…not wondering why he would have been so careless in letting it drop. The fact that it could have been a plant didn't even occur to Hughes, thought Neal. He was quickly coming to the conclusion that if Peter didn't get back soon he would find him standing permanently for everything that is if he wasn't back in prison. It was with that air of despair that Neal found himself as he returned to his desk and the fluffy pillow placed in his chair.

"I thought that you might find sitting a little easier," remarked Jones casually as he returned to his case.

Neal smiled shyly before tenderly sitting down and while the pillow did ease the pain it didn't take it completely away; it only made it more bearable.