A/N: I want to thank you all who have read and reviewed. It means a lot to me and keeps me writing this story. I'll try to update more as soon as possible.
By the time Peter got back to his car Neal had picked his handcuffs and moments later started regretting it. He wanted to convince Peter that he was innocent and by trying to escape he wouldn't help his chances of getting listened.
So when Peter sat to the driver's seat and Ruiz to the seat next to him, Neal had already cuffed himself again to the door handle and was sitting on the back seat just as the agents had left him.
Neal tried staying quiet as agent Ruiz had advised him to do but wasn't able for long. He had to find out why agent Ruiz was dealing with this case. And why Neal was a suspect.
He had been home ever since Peter had dropped him there last night and the agents must have known it. They could just check his tracker data and see that he hadn't moved anywhere longer than his bathroom in the last 16 hours. Most of the time he had been asleep or painting. Not stealing anything.
•••
"So how come Agent Ruiz and not you had the privilege of arresting me?" Neal started pointing his question to Peter.
Of course it was Ruiz who answered: "Burke didn't have the guts to do it himself. Someone might think he had some sort of affection for you."
Peter didn't answer but only started driving a bit faster and Neal could see his knuckles turning white as he grasped the wheel tighter.
Ruiz didn't notice. He kept on talking. "You should have seen Burke's face when Hughes ordered me to take care of the arrest. I should have taken a picture of it."
Ruiz was teasing Peter. Trying to annoy him as much as possible. And it was working. Neal couldn't see Peter's face but he knew that the agent must be furious with Ruiz. Well he must be furious with Neal too.
•••
Neal leaned back on his seat and closed his eyes. He tried to mute the sounds of the two agents talking and started thinking what he'd gotten himself into.
"How could Peter believe so easily that I did it? Hadn't the man trusted me at least so little that he would have asked me about the theft before he came rushing in with all the FBI agents arresting me? Well apparently no."
Neal mocked himself for being so stupid and trusting the older man. Peter had been like a father to him. And he had thought Peter would be there to protect him and defend him.
"He's a Suit. What did you expect?" Mozzie's voice scoffed inside Neal's head.
Neal answered the thought: "I don't know. I expected something… more."
•••
EARLIER
"No. This can't be true" Peter kept repeating to Hughes. "Neal didn't do this. He couldn't have."
"I believe this is hard for you. We all trusted him. But the evidence is so clear. You have to go arrest him and bring him in for questioning."
"No! Just let me talk to him first. Let me go figure this out."
Jones and Diana were backing Peter off. But there was nothing they could say to make Hughes change his mind.
"This is our policy. If we know someone did a crime we must arrest him. We can't let him walk away or plan another crime just because he has helped us in the past. The time when Caffrey was your consultant is all gone now and you have to move on Peter. He's a con artist. What did you expect?"
•••
"Wake up Sleeping Beauty", Ruiz snorted and Neal opened his eyes. He hadn't fell asleep but he had been so bemused that he hadn't noticed the Taurus already arriving at the FBI office.
Peter got up from the car and helped Neal out of the backseat. He cuffed the younger man's hands behind his back and started walking towards the front entrance not waiting for Ruiz.
"Peter", Neal whispered so that Ruiz could not hear, "I didn't do it. I need to talk to you. Alone. Please."
Neal couldn't believe he was begging Peter. But what did it matter? He had to convince the agent that he was innocent.
No answer. Peter kept his eyes focused on the front door and tried to ignore Neal's begs. He had arrested his best friend. He felt so bad he wanted to burst in tears or just leave and go home talk things out with El. She could help him clear his thoughts. Sadly he wouldn't get the chance to do neither. He would have to interrogate the young man until the state police would come pick him up to their custody.
And then he would go to jail. That would be the end of the chapter called Neal Caffrey in Peter's life.
•••
Neal watched as Peter opened his handcuffs and indicated him a seat. Then he locked the door and the two of them were left alone in the interrogation room. There wasn't any hesitation in Peter's movements as he sat to the chair opposite Neal and opened a file he had been holding.
"This looks really bad for you Caffrey" Peter started coldly and made Neal flinch. "Besides the fact this whole case is your MO, we have the fingerprint from the scene. Yeah and of course your tracker being switched off."
Every word Peter spat out of his mouth hurt Neal. But the fingerprint? His fingerprint? And the tracker being switched off? What was going on?
"Someone framed me", Neal said but he knew Peter didn't believe. He wouldn't have believed himself either. With that strong evidence he was going to jail.
"So let's start simple", Peter didn't take any notice in Neal's words. "Where were you last night after I drove you to June's and your tracker went off?"
"Home. Sleeping. Painting. Alone", Neal answered talking so quietly Peter had to lean forward to hear. "No, I don't have an alibi but yes, I'm innocent."
Peter got a bit confused by Neal's answer but didn't let the con see it. There was a small voice inside him yelling at him to believe what Neal said and try to clear his name instead of sending him to prison. The Agent silenced the voice and continued his questions. This was going to be a long day.
"You say you were framed. Who do you think framed you?" He had to ask this even though he didn't really believe the framing theory.
Neal didn't answer the question for he didn't have any idea who it could have been but he didn't stay silent either. "Peter, did you tell El about this already?"
Peter was surprised by such a private question. He had tried to forget his wife waiting for him and Neal to come home for a lunch. Sooner or later he would have to call her and he had been trying to delay it for as long as possible.
El would defend Neal for sure and try to get Peter change his mind. The woman was able to see the good in Neal better than Peter and she wouldn't believe Neal being guilty so easily. She might even get Peter to change his mind. And Neal knew that too.
"Not yet. But I'll soon", Peter answered and then scolded himself. He was the one asking the questions. Not answering.
Neal nodded in contentment. "And can you call my lawyer?"
Peter agreed. Neal's so called lawyer was a weird little guy and both Peter and Neal knew he would only show up at the FBI office if it was a matter of life and death. But Neal wanted his friend finding out what had happened. Moz could try to find evidence showing Neal's innocence.
•••
When the state police came to transport Neal to their custody, Peter finally decided to call El. He couldn't delay it forever and she would get worried if she heard nothing from them.
"Uhh hey honey" Peter started when El answered.
"Hi hon. I've been waiting for you and Neal to come soon. The lunch is ready. You two coming?"
Peter's hand started sweating as he explained what had happened. "And umm Neal did it. We know he did", he ended.
El was quiet. Peter could hear her breathing but she didn't say anything. "El?"
"You sure he's guilty?" El asked in a small voice. "Maybe he was framed?"
"I wish it would be like that. But it isn't. Hon, he did it. We found his fingerprint at the scene."
Another silence as Elizabeth processed what she'd heard.
"I'm so sorry Peter. Are you okay?"
"Yeah sure." But he wasn't. He felt used and betrayed. But most of all he felt like his heart had been broken.
•••
Many hours and lot of waiting later Neal finally heard that he would be transferred to prison until his sentencing. He could pay his bail and be released before that but the FBI had been sure to get the bail as high as possible. Neal didn't have that much cash.
He could get it if he sold a few of the valuables he'd stolen years ago. But that meant he'd have to tell someone where he hid everything. An easier plan would be just to spend a few nights in the prison. There was just one problem.
The young and usually very calm man was now getting really nervous. He could survive a few nights in prison but everybody knew what happened to snitches on the inside. He couldn't go back in for long or he wouldn't get out alive.
A/N: Let me know if you liked or hated it. Going to update a new chapter soon.
